Ave
by Ella-Olivia
Summary: The team of Leverage meets a strange teenage girl. Who is she? Parker, however, likes her! But what does she have to do with the team's current con?
1. Strange

Leverage

**I do not own Leverage. **

**Sorry if there are any mistakes in the text. English is not my first language so please be tolerant!**

She lay in the ventilation shaft over the kitchen, staring through the grids of the vent down on the delicious meal that was cooking on the stove. She inhaled the smell of chicken and spicy sauce while contemplating whether it would be a good idea to steal a few tidbits to annoy the cook. Said man just left the kitchen to do an errand for her foster father since he not only was his cook but also his assistant and willing servant for anything else. He reminded her of a cringing dog who did everything just to earn a few stroke units of his master.

But maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Although she was sure her foster father hated her anyways, no matter what she did, he was recently especially sensitive to anything that didn't run his ways. He had some strange new mission for his business to do and that made him constantly nervous. She had stopped long ago to try to make things right since she had just learned that it was impossible to satisfy him. Always was something wrong with what she did, something wrong with her, and then she had to do it again and again… Can't you just behave like a normal person? He asks her. Why do you have to act like a lunatic that just escaped out of the crazy house? It hurt to hear these words. She tried to change but - how when she doesn't even understand what she did wrong?

No, it was definitely a bad idea to aggravate him even more. But she was hungry - and this bag of grapes literally shouted for her to steal it…

She fumbled for her self-made angling rod and just wanted to put it through the grids to get the grapes when suddenly people entered the kitchen. People she didn't know. Her foster father seldom let people into this big company building of his she was in right now since he was a very mistrusting man, having only a few loyal employees. He owned a very big and very rich company that acted all over the USA. The company, the work, that was his world, his life. She often wondered why he wanted to foster her although he was always working, never spent time with her and had no interest in what she did the whole day while he was busy. And then she remembered his wife, the vain bitch that thought it would be cool if she could tell her friends that she was so selfless and took care of an orphan. And now she was away for two weeks, on a vacation in the Caribbean. Of course without her. Would be too "stressful". Since her foster father could not let her at home all day he had decided to bring her with him to his workplace when she wasn't at school.

But if she was honest, it was okay like this. She could do whatever she wanted the whole day. Her foster father didn't care about her. She was sure he had forgotten her long ago. She could crawl through the ventilation shafts of the ten floor office building which belonged to her foster father's company. She could annoy her foster father's employees that worked here. She could just lie in a ventilation shaft, reading, thinking, safe and warm above them all and inaccessible for her foster father. Or she could do more adventurous things: escaping out of the building and hanging around in the city. But she had to be careful that her foster father didn't notice her absence. Otherwise he would imprison her for a few hours in an empty storeroom.

She thought about running away but she already tried that in three other foster families and of course several times in the children's home but it ended always the same way: with her being caught and punished.

She was awakened from her trail of thoughts when she noticed the three people sneaking carefully across the room while whispering quietly to each other. There were one women and two men. The first men was the oldest of the three and had a brown curly-head. The second man was big, tall and very muscular, with long, very long brown hair. The women was slim and had light blonde hair with a fringe. In her hands she noticed the tools being needed for cracking a door or a safe.

She observed them crossing the room and disappearing into another room. She frowned. Who was that? Surely nobody who worked here. Then she would knew them. Gracefully she let herself fall down from the ventilation shaft vent down to the ground and followed them carefully.

She peeked through the crack of the door and silently followed them truogh a few rooms until they stopped in her foster-father's bureau. Three people began to dig through cupboards and drawers. She frowned again. What the heck did they do there? They… they had to be… There was no other possibility. They had to be burglars. The mysterious, careful, mistrusting and quiet way they moved was proof enough for her.

Finally they seemed to find what they were searching for. "Nate, I've got it!", the young blonde woman shouted excitedly.

"Shush! Quiet!", the long haired man hissed.

"Show me!", the curly-head, Nate, whispered and hurried over to the woman.

"What? Hardison!", the long-haired man suddenly cursed as if he would talk to someone. But she noticed he looked at nobody in the room. Strange people, she thought. "Yeah, okay, where?", he then asked. The man took a USB-stick out of his pocket and stuck it into the laptop of her foster-father on the desk. "How long does that take?", the man asked impatiently.

Nate took the folder from the woman and tugged it under his brown coat. "Well done, Parker!", he nodded at the woman. She smiled proudly. "But now we have to go!", Nate urged the other two. "Eliot, ready?"

"Yeah, yeah! Hardison, how long?", the man asked again, getting more and more impatient.

Finally he, seemingly Eliot, pulled the stick out of the notebook and the three hurried back to the door through which they had entered before. She hurried away as fast as she could and crawled back into the ventilation shaft.

Just when the tree people entered the kitchen the cook came in. He stood still, shocked, in the door, staring at the three. Immediately the long haired man stepped forward. "Be quiet or I will hurt you!", he threatened.

"Ahhhhh!", the cook squealed like a beaten puppy. She could barely hide her gleeful giggle. The cook tried to run away. But he had no chance. The long haired man seized him by the collar and knocked him out.

Then the three people hurried out of the kitchen. Down the stairs. Out of the building. She followed them. She couldn't otherwise.

Criminal and lawless. Free and independent. What a dream.

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! What do you think, should I continue?**


	2. Maniac

**I do not own Leverage.**

2. Chapter

Eliot, Nate and Parker left the building and gathered up Sophie who had distracted the receptionist so the other three had been able to sneak in. Then they headed to the van standing a few streets away and greeted a waiting Hardison.

"Everything went smooth, perfect!", Hardison rejoiced.

"Hey, guys!", Eliot suddenly exclaimed. "Someone pursues us!"

"Who?", Sophie wanted to know.

"I don't know … I can't see anybody… but I can feel it! There's someone after us, I'm sure!", Eliot tried to explain, scanning the area around them with his eyes without noticing anything unusual.

"You're paranoid!", Parker shook her head. "You can 'feel' it! Ha!" She laughed and made the cool air quotes Hardison taught her. "And you say there's something wrong with _me_!"

Eliot glared at her annoyed. "Stop complaining, Parker! It's _my_ attentiveness that keeps you safe, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah!", Parker said absent-mindly, her attention already drawn by something completely else. Eliot shook his head.

"Maybe you have a attentiveness disorder!", Parker remarked, giggling.

"_Parker! _That's something _completely _else!", Eliot answered incredulously.

"Oh! What's that?", Parker wanted to know.

"I'm not your daddy, okay? Ask Sophie!", Eliot demanded.

"Maybe… you have a paranoid disorder!", Parker mused, ignoring what Eliot said.

"Such a thing doesn't exist! Stop talking rubbish!", Eliot scolded her. "And at least I'm not kleptomaniac!"

Parker stared at him indignantly. "I'm not kleptomaniac! I just like stealing, what's wrong with that?"

Eliot laughed at her seriousness. "What is wrong with that? You are cute! A lot, most people would say."

"We are not most people, you know!", Parker stated with total seriousness.

"Well, yeah, there you made a point, I guess.", Eliot admitted pensively. Parker smiled.

"But one thing is for sure.", Eliot continued, grinning. "If you take away the klepto- the word you'll get describes you perfectly!"

Parker scrunched her face thoughtfully for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant. Then her eyes lit up and she giggled. "Maniac! Haha, you're funny!" Eliot laughed, too.

"And if you take away the para-…", Parker giggled again. "Noid is a cool word, don't you think, Eliot?"

Eliot could only shake his head. This crazy girl! "Parker! You're talking rubbish again!"

"Noid… Noid…", Parker repeated fascinated.

"Stop singing this stupid word, Parker!", Eliot demanded, slapping playfully the back of her head.

"Ow!", she squealed. "Sophie! Eliot slapped me!" But Sophie didn't hear her, she was too immersed in a conversation with Nate.

"Noid, noid, noid…", Parker continued to sing to tease Eliot. He looked like he would explode if she said it just once more. Suddenly she added excitedly: "The word reminds me of Stannoidite! Do you know what a Stannoidite is, Eliot?"

"No, and I don't want to know it!", Eliot answered irritated.

"It's a mineral. I once stole one. It's very precious and can earn you a lot of money! I like money!", she explained with shining eyes.

"That figures. Everything that is worth money is known by you!", Eliot taunted.

"Hey, you blabbermouths!", Nate finally interrupted them. "Focus, please!"

Parker giggled while Eliot shot her a dark glare before the two turned back to the other three.

She listened to the conversations floating out of the van. Then she turned around and ran back to the building, making her way into the backyard. In the first story she discovered an open window. Swiftly she swarmed up the uneven and squiggly wall of the old building, sneaked in through the open window and went to get her shoulder back. Hasty she stuffed her few belongings in it: a flashlight, pocketknife, tools for lock picking, her spoon (she had stolen this spoon a long time ago and since then she had never used another spoon for eating. If she would get hungry she could steal her favorite meal, yoghurt), and Timmy. Timmy was a small sheepdog figure made of plastic or rubber. He was her lucky charm and best friend since she could remember. Carefully she made sure he was safely stowed so she would by no means loose him. Then she slipped her old worn leather jacket on and grabbed her shoulder back before again leaving the building.

Five minutes later she was back at the van of the five strange thieves, observing them curiously. She really had no idea what she was doing. It was absolutely crazy to run away from her foster parents just to follow a few foreign people she never saw before. But somehow she couldn't help it. There was something about them that just draw her attention… Oh, now you go crazy!, she told herself. Oh, sorry, she answered herself. I forgot, you already _are_ crazy.

**Do you like my OC? Please tell me and review! Thank you for reading!**


	3. Odd

**I do not own Leverage.**

3. Chapter

The Leverage team entered Nates condo and set down all their bags and backpacks. Nate stepped further into his living room. And froze.

"Hi!", a high, female voice said friendly.

"Wh… what do you do here?", Nate asked bewildered while watching a brown- almost black-haired teenage girl that was sitting on his couch. She had fair, ivory-colored skin which was a strong contrast to her dark hair and brown, vividly sparkling eyes.

"Oh, I found fortune cookies. They are yummy!", she answered blithely.

"Fortune cookies? You ate _my _fortune cookies?", Parker wanted to know indignantly.

"You can have the cookies. I just love to read the fortunes."

Parker smiled. "Agreed!"

"Who are you?", Eliot wanted to know impatiently. "And what do you do in _our living room_?"

"Yeah, what do you do in _our living room_?", Parker repeated, now realizing what the problem was and becoming really indignant.

"Plenty sits still. Hunger is a wanderer.", the girl answered mysteriously.

"Wh… what?", Sophie asked strangely, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Fortune cookies!", Parker shouted excitedly. "Am I right?"

"Fortune cookies teach you more about life than school will ever be able to!", The girl grinned, but she nevertheless kept her eyes glued to all of them.

"However, I like her!", Parker stated, smiling back.

Eliot shot her an annoyed glance. Parker was always so mistrusting, maybe more than anybody of them. But when it came to children she was unfamiliarly soft. "What's your name?", Eliot wanted to know.

"Ave.", the girl answered shyly and backed slightly away from him.

"Just Ave? What's your surname?", Hardison went into it. The whole team had gathered in front of the strange girl, staring at her with big eyes.

"I have no surname." Suddenly the vivid spark disappeared from her big eyes and she just looked like a lost child. Eliot couldn't help the pity he suddenly felt for her.

"You have no surname?", Sophie frowned.

"No. I could tell you the name of my recent foster parents. Or the names of the several foster parents I had before. But my real surname? The name of my real parents? Nobody ever told me that name. I don't know it." Her voice became louder and louder with each word, filled with a mixture of bitterness and anger. The team exchanged glances.

"How old are you?", Eliot wanted to know.

"Dunno. Fifteen, I guess, maybe sixteen.", Ave answered carelessly.

"You don't know how old you are? Even Parker knows her age!", Hardison exclaimed.

Ave narrowed her eyes to slits. She disliked it when people raised their voice. "So what?", she hissed. Eliot couldn't help but chuckle.

"Wait a moment - How did you come in?", Nate suddenly asked warily.

"Oh, I burgled you. Wasn't very difficult. It's an easy lock!", Ave explained proudly.

"Oh, of course!", Nate exclaimed. "It just figures that we don't have any normal fans."

"Hey, you robbed the bureau of my foster father!", Ave stated, but it wasn't easy to detect whether it was a reproach or an approval. Eliot frowned. She said it so… emotionless.

"Oh… you mean the Ronson building? That was easy!", Parker laughed.

The girl relaxed a little bit as soon as Parker addressed her. "The best way is through the air vent. I do that all the time to escape him!"

"I know! But they - ", Parker pointed accusingly at Nate and Eliot, "- wanted me to come with them."

"You followed us?", Nate wanted to know from Ave, observing her with mistrust.

"Yes."

"See! I was right!", Eliot exclaimed.

"Why?", Hardison asked.

"What do you think? Of course I wanted to find out why you burgled my foster father. What did you steal?", Ave wanted to know curiously.

Nate and Sophie looked at each other, contemplating what to answer. Eliot grabbed Parkers arm to stop her from spilling everything.

Finally Nate decided on a counter question: "What do you know about his work?"

"Okay, I know I can't expect that you just tell me all of your company secrets.", Ave answered. "But then why should I tell you what I know?"

"That has logic.", Parker stated.

"You are professional thieves, aren't you?", Ave asked.

Hardison smirked. "Professional thieves? That sounds nice! Like it's just a normal occupation."

"What makes you think so?", Eliot asked suspiciously.

"Oh, before you came back I looked around a little bit. Nice stuff you have here!", Ave said off-handedly.

"No, this cannot be happening!", Nate complained. "What the _fuck_ do you want here?"

Ave cringed at his upset voice. "I already told you."

"Don't yell at her, Nate!", Parker defended her sternly.

"Parker, do you want me to feel guilty because of yelling at someone who _broke in in my condo_?", Nate answered indignantly.

"Hey, she is nice!", Parker reasoned. "And maybe she can help us. With our con. As an informer."

"Maybe I tell you what I know if you tell me what this is all about.", Ave interjected.

"Come on, Nate! Can't we keep her?", Parker begged.

"Parker!", Eliot shouted. "We can't 'keep' her! She is not a toy, she is a child."

"I'm not a child. I'm a teenager.", Ave corrected.

"Eliot is absolutely right.", Nate went in, happy that someone agrees with him. "Her foster parents will miss her."

Ave laughed scornfully. "They won't miss me."

"Ronson is influential. He will do everything to find her!", Sophie insisted.

"He is working.", Ave said as if that would explain everything. "He forgot me."

"For one day? Please!", Parker begged.

"Well, all right.", Nate gave in. He sighed, somehow he could not just chuck her out. "But then you have to go, girl, okay? It's impossible for you to stay here!"

Ave ignored him. "Do you work together, as a team?", she addressed Parker.

"Yes, we are the Leverage corporation. We steal money to give it to the poor.", Parker explained vividly.

"Parker!", Eliot interrupted her harshly. "You know her for ten minutes and tell her everything?"

The girl, Ave, just concentrated on Parker. "That's strange. Like Robin Hood. You sure, you are real thieves?" She asked incredulously.

"Believe me, it's very exciting and lots of fun!", Parker affirmed.

"But don't you wanna keep the money for yourself? I would love to have a lot of money!"

Parker smiled dreamily. "Me too. Money is something really, really wonderful!"

Eliot rolled his eyes. "We are too good to be normal thieves, you know!"

"Especially as a team.", Hardison added.

"I never had a team. Or a family." Suddenly she sounded sad.

"Me neither. But it's nice.", Parker told her, not noticing her change of mood.

"I'm hungry!" Ave declared. A change of subject was needed.

"Parker!", Eliot demanded. "You wanted her, you take care of her!"

"I order pizza!", Hardison decided.

"Do you want cereal?", Parker asked.

"Yes! But… no. Do you have yoghurt?", Ave asked cautiously.

"Dunno, but we can check the fridge! Follow me." Parker went into the kitchen, followed by Ave.

Parker climbed on the cabinet to get a bowl for her. Then she opened the fridge. Ave sat on the table, legs swinging, observing Parker with attentive eyes. "What's your name?"

"Parker."

"And your surname?"

"I don't have one. Like you."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Huh?"

"You can learn a lot about a person by knowing his favorite color."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm good at reading people. In my world that's necessary if you wanna survive."

Parker eyed her. "Okay, blue. What does that tell you about me?"

Ave stared at Parker, pondering, but she didn't answer.

"If that's supposed to be small talk you are rather bad at it.", Parker stated matter-of-factly. It was meant as a joke but Ave didn't laugh.

"I guess you are right. Sorry.", Ave answered.

"Never mind. Being polite is overrated anyways.", Parker said off-handedly.

Ave smiled. "I think everybody should just say what he thinks and be honest. And if that's too dangerous then just shut up."

Parker nodded. "But Sophie says sometimes being too frank can hurt people."

"I don't think anybody ever cared if he hurt me with what he says. So why should I?", Ave said rudely.

"Because you don't want to be like _those _people. That's a bad thing.", Parker answered convinced. She had found a yoghurt and now handed it to Ave. Parker just wanted to fetch a spoon when Ave stopped her. "Wait, I go get my own spoon!"

Before Parker could react she had left the room. Ave entered the living room again which now was empty. She hurried to a corner where she had hidden her shoulder bag and grabbed it. Back in the kitchen she sat back on the table and fished her spoon out of her bag. Parker frowned, puzzled, and observed Ave while eating her bowl of cereal.

"I want to be a professional thief, too." Ave told Parker without raising her gaze from her yoghurt. "I always stole stuff so I am at least a good pickpocket!"

"Sometimes the bad guys are the only good guys you get!", Parker grinned.

Ave smirked. "Better check your pockets!"

Suddenly the door opened and Hardison came in. "The pizza is here!"

Parker noticed immediately how Ave flinched when the door opened. Parker also realized how Ave sat the whole time in a position from which she could see both the door and the windows. Always ready to flee. Parker knew this reflex.


	4. Different

Leverage

4. Chapter

They let her eat the Pizza with them.

She got to know them a little bit, just by observing, listening and a little bit of talking.

There was Nathan Ford, or Nate, the leader of the team and the mastermind who made up all the plans and picked the clients and cons for them. Ave liked him in a way and she knew he was actually a good guy but nevertheless she avoided to run him close. There was this certain sparkle in his eyes… she recognized it, she already knew it from many other men and it never meant something good. She saw this suspicious sparkle in his eyes that told her Nate only lived for the next bottle of Jack. But she guessed he had his reasons since she also noticed the pain that radiated from him, the pain of having lost somebody. A wife? Or maybe a child?

Next was Sophie Deveraux, the team's grifter. She definitely was a self-confident, beautiful and intelligent woman. And she knew exactly how to use her skills so she got what she wanted. She was a master in disguising her real self and in manipulating people. But Ave sensed that she enjoyed being around her team where she finally was accepted just the way she was. It was rare for her not being forced to hide her real self.

Then Alec Hardison, the computer genius and master hacker. He was a really friendly and nice guy and somehow it surprised Ave that he landed on this side of the law. "Criminal" would really be the last word she would think of in association with Hardison. Amidst of all those broken people he seemed to be the most stable. His freaky, geeky self gave the team a little bit of… normality. In a freaky, geeky way, of course.

Then there was Eliot Spencer. Eliot was the hitter of the team, he protected them and removed all human obstacles in their way. He was very hot tempered, determined and liked better to first punch and then ask questions. But Ave thought that behind this rough shell a soft and affectionate heart was hidden although he showed this side of him very rarely. His whole life hardened him, had taught him that loving and caring just ended in pain. But Ave was sure that he would do everything, even sacrificing his life, to protect his team.

Last, but not least, was there Parker, the thief without a surname just like her. Ave admired her for being such an amazing cat burglar and thief. She really liked her. Parker was nice, funny and straightforward. She behaved truly odd towards people and she was at least as crazy as Ave by herself. Ave was sure that she had a rough childhood, she had always been lonely and deceived by others. But finally she had found a family in this team, people who loved her despite all her many quirks.

But the most important: she understood her.

But in the end Ave had to go. Of course. They were different. Different than everybody she ever met in her life. But nevertheless: who wants to take a teenager in?

The last thing Ave said to the bunch of thieves was: "But don't you dare to betray me and tell my foster father where I am! If you do that I will tell the police you burgled the Ronson bureau, got that?"

It was already dark outside when she left the building and Ave really had no idea where to go. One thing she though knew for sure: She would certainly not return to her foster father. She didn't care if he searched for her or if he even noticed her absence. She now was older than the last time she ran away and lived on the street. Now she would not let them find her and bring her to another hell called "foster family".

She wandered through the empty streets only lightened by the artificial light of advertising signs and dirty street lamps. It was getting colder. And the longer she walked the heavier seemed the bag on her shoulder. She snuggled deeper into her warm dark green jacket.

While walking without knowing where her feet brought her thoughts began to wander. The five thieves and grifters she got to know were a strange crew, that was for sure. But there just was something about them... something that attracted her magically. She saw herself in them. The way she could end in case her story should have a happy end.

Suddenly she stopped walking. She turned around and began to run. As fast as she could she made her way back to the headquarter of the Leverage team. She had no idea why she was able to find the way so easily. She just knew where to go.

When she arrived at the headquarter she took her tools for lock picking out of her bag and after ten seconds she was inside of Nates condo again. Carefully she sneaked through the rooms, glancing around. Suddenly she noticed how tired she was. So she searched for a comfy place where she could sleep. On a clock she saw that it was already after midnight.

She finally decided on a big closet in one of the rooms and climbed in it. She formed a comfortable bed out of her jacket and a blanket that already laid in the closet and closed the doors behind her. Then she grabbed her bag and fished out a yummy sandwich she found in the fridge before the five thieves had come home. After having enjoyed her delicious meal she went to sleep.

Although she was completely foreign in this house she felt oddly safe.


	5. Weird

**Thank you for the reviews! Enjoy the next chapter!**

Leverage

Chapter 5

The next morning the five members of the Leverage team met in Nates condo. Hardison sat in the gigantic armchair with the TV remote in his hands staring at the TV while Parker sat on the sofa completely immersed in eating a bowl of cereal. In the kitchen one could hear Eliot digging through the fridge.

"Parker!", he yelled suddenly. "Where is my sandwich?"

"How am I supposed to know?", she yelled back without even looking up from her breakfast.

"You are the only kleptomaniac in this team, remember?", Eliot stepped into the living room and glared angrily at Parker.

"Hey, I didn't steal it, okay?", Parker told him indignantly. "I mean, why should I eat _sandwiches_ for breakfast?"

Hardison decided to go in. "Maybe the girl from yesterday, Ave, stole it? Since she seemingly dug through Nates whole condo…"

"Incredible!", Eliot cursed. "Is it possible that we attract the lunatics magically? As if Parker isn't bad enough!"

"Hey, guys!", named one suddenly shouted, absolutely unaffected by Eliots remark since her attention seemingly was drawn by something else. "Look at that!" She pointed at the TV where the news were on. Hardison and Eliot looked surprised.

"That's her, isn't it? Ave!", Parker declared.

"Speaking of the devil…", Hardison remarked.

"Quiet!", Eliot hushed and the three listened attentively to what the newsreader announced.

"Once again: Yesterday afternoon disappeared the teenage girl Ave Ronson, daughter of Mike Ronson, the owner of a successful insurance company." On the screen appeared a big photo of Ave. She looked a little bit younger than the team knew her but she had the same fair skin, dark hair and sparkling eyes. "Seemingly she ran away from home after a fight with her father. We ask everyone who saw her or knows where she is to call the number displayed on the TV screen. Her father also wants to address Ave directly."

A sad, desperate looking Mike Ronson appeared an the screen. He was an approximately fifty years old man with grey hair. "Please, Ave, if you hear this: We miss you so much, please come home!", he begged.

"Such a sham!", Eliot mumbled.

The newsreader continued: "Her family is grateful for all hints, even the smallest, so please call if you know something. And now we go on with the drama that acted out yesterday…"

"Nate! Sophie!", Parker yelled. "You have to see that!"

Nate and Sophie hurried in, alarmed at Parkers excited voice. "What's up?", Nate wanted to know.

"Ave is on TV.", Hardison told him. "She ran away from her foster father and now they search for her."

"That was to be expected. But it's not our affair.", Nate answered unaffectedly. He had rejected Parkers idea to let Ave help them. They were good at what they were doing - since when did they need an informer? And anyway - how helpful could be a kid?

"We start working in half an hour!", Nate informed them, before he and Sophie again disappeared into the conference room.

Eliot snapped the TV remote away from Hardison and zapped through the channels until he found a football game to watch. Parker pouted about Nates statement, throwing herself on the sofa and lying her feet into Eliots lap.

Hardison tried to banish the strange atmosphere: "Anybody in the mood for a game?" Parker and Eliot knew exactly what he meant: they often played some kind of game on Hardisons x-box.

"No!", Parker huffed, obviously in a bad mood.

"Eliot? Please?", Hardison begged.

"Okay, I'm in.", Eliot gave in.

"Okay, okay!", Parker interjected swiftly. "I'm in, too, I'm in, too!" She absolutely couldn't bear to be barred from a game.

"Too late!", Eliot told her impassively. "Now we play without you!"

"Shut up, Eliot!", Parker whined. "You are mean!" Eliot laughed at her whereupon Parker slapped him angrily against the shoulder.

Hardison sighed. These two! "I go get the game!", he shouted but Eliot and Parker were too immersed in their little argument to react.

Hardison made his way into Nate's bureau and to the closet in which a lot of his computer stuff was stored. He opened the doors of the closet -

And felt a sharp, cold blade pressed to his throat. He gasped shocked.

Ave had slept so wonderfully well in the limited space of the closet with the snugly blanket wrapped around her and her Timmy in her hand. But then the doors suddenly opened and awoke her abruptly. The too bright light of the day burned in her eyes. Through the haze of sleepiness she could see a blurred shape looking at her surprised.

She did the first thing that popped into her mind. Immediately her muscles followed the first and strongest instinct buried deep inside of her since she was a small child. Fear floated through her. She whipped her knife out from under her jacket / improvised pillow, jumped at the shape and pressed the knife against her attacker's carotid artery.

The attacker squeaked frightened and put up his hands in surrender. He hurried up to whine: "Ahh! Stop it! I don't want to hurt you or so! Please, take away the knife! Don't you recognize me?"

The adrenaline rushed through Aves veins and banished her bleariness in a split second. For a moment she didn't know where she was but then she remembered everything that happened yesterday. She blinked a few more times to wake up completely before she eyed her attacker closer.

"Oh, it's you! Sorry! You scared me!", she said as soon as she recognized one of the thieves from yesterday. Hardison, she thought.

"Oh, _I _scared _you_? How funny! Who once again is the one with the knife at the throat?", Hardison rambled while Ave observed him as if he would be some kind of fascinating object. "Could you now _please _take away the knife?", Hardison asked urgingly when she didn't move.

"Sorry! Of course!", she immediately replied and quickly removed the knife putting it back into her bag.

"Still a little bit drowsy, aren't you?", Hardison asked sarcastically, referring to her strange reaction. He straightened himself and rubbed his neck to recover from the sudden excitement.

Ave left the closet to stretch in front of him. "No, thanks to you I'm now completely awake.", she explained appreciating.

Hardison shook his head. "No problem, think nothing of it. Nice that I could do that for you!", Hardison responded ironically.

"Honestly?", Ave asked, eyeing him strangely. "You like to be attacked with a knife?"

Hardison looked at her incredulously. "Of course not! Ever heard of irony?"

Ave scrunched her face and fidgeted awkwardly. "I have to say, it's a long, long time ago since I slept that good!", she finally said.

Hardison grinned. "In a _closet_?"

"Why not?", Ave retorted vexingly.

Hardison laughed. "Okay, okay. I guess I should be used to weird people with Parker on my team."

Ave smirked. "And since you are pretty weird by yourself."

"Hey! I'm not weird, I just have a unique style!", Hardison backed up.

"Don't lie to yourself. That's the same, just put in other words!", Ave told him matter-of-factly.

"Speaking of weird...", Hardison replied, looking at her scrutinizingly. "What again do you do in our condo?"

Ave just stared at him without answering. She didn't even know the answer for herself. So what could she say?

"The heck with it!", Hardison finally exclaimed. "Now you are here… I guess you hadn't breakfast yet?"

Aves face lit up. "You know what? You are the coolest criminal I've ever met!"


	6. Insane

Leverage

Chapter 6

Hardison went back into the living room, followed by Ave. Eliot and Parker still lolled in front of the TV. He could hear Parker complaining: "I'm bored!"

"Hey guys!", Hardison shouted. "Look what I found in the closet!" Ave stood slightly behind him, fidgeting awkwardly and watching the two others intently.

Parker and Eliot stared at her, flabbergasted.

"Oh no, not you again!", Eliot groaned. "That's impossible!"

Parker began to grin. "You! How did you come in?"

"What do you think?", Ave smirked mischievously. "Through the entry door of course!"

"Through the _closed _entry door!", Parker emphasized understandingly.

Suddenly Nate entered the room and opened his mouth as if to say something. But then his look fell on the girl beside Hardison and, like yesterday, he froze. Sophie stepped beside Nate, as perplex as him.

"Guys, what's happening here?", he demanded to know. "What do you here again, kiddo?"

Ave completely ignored the question as if she wasn't addressed and instead simply scrutinized the people and the room around her.

"Hardison! Why is she here?", Nate now addressed Hardison angrily.

"Hey, I'm not responsible for it!", Hardison replied, defending himself. "Like I said, I found her in the closet."

"In the _closet_?", Sophie asked incredulously.

Hardison nodded understandingly. "Was my first thought, too. But it's the truth. She even attacked me!"

"She attacked you?", Eliot went into it, immediately eyeing Ave suspiciously.

"It's okay!", Hardison said quickly. Ave still didn't do anything despite looking as innocent as she could and let Hardison explain what happened. "See, I can even look scary despite what you all think!", he ended.

Eliot laughed. "But I bet as soon as you saw the knife you whined like a puppy!" Hardison made a face at him.

Nate frowned. "Back to the topic: What did you do in my closet?", he asked Ave, confused.

Ave eventually looked at him. "I slept!", she answered as if that would be absolutely self-evident. Four faces eyed her strangely. Only Parker looked rather interested. "I came back in the night and then… I slept here.", Ave tried to explain.

Nate shook his head before saying reproachfully: "You broke in again!"

"Funny.", Ave replied. "You reproach me with something that you all do all the time." The team was silent for a moment.

Suddenly Aves look fell on the TV. "Oh, you watch Spongebob!", she squealed delightfully when she noticed the cartoon appearing on the screen, and threw herself on the couch beside Parker and Eliot.

"You like Spongebob?", Parker asked incredulously. "I would love to kill him! He is so… annoying!"

"If that was a reason for you to kill someone you would already have committed suicide long ago!", Eliot huffed.

"Shut up, guys!", Nate sighed. "Didn't I spoke plain English yesterday, what was your name… Ave? You can't be here, you have to leave!"

Ave didn't move an inch. "No! I don't want to!", she she told him firmly and stared pointedly at the TV. Parker giggled whereupon Eliot growled at her.

"Why of all people do you have to annoy _us_?", Eliot asked impatiently.

"You are different.", Ave said softly, her eyes becoming... hopefully.

"Different from whom?", Sophie asked gently.

"My foster parents. Everyone.", Ave said, her voice full of choked emotions.

"What do you mean - different?", Nate wanted to know, now a little bit more sensitive.

She shrugged and blinked as if to banish something inside of her head. Eliot observed how the emotionless blocking-face reappeared. "You steal."

"O yeah! And how!", Parker immediately raved. "But what the best of it is: I can jump off roofs all the time!"

"Cool!", Ave said with maniac giggle. Eliot observed how emotionless changed to crazy. "Do you teach me how to jump? I imagine it feels like flying!"

Parker nodded enthusiastically. "It feels like freedom. The greatest freedom a human being can achieve." Suddenly there was a seriousness and melancholy in Parkers voice that kept Eliot from shaking his head or rolling his eyes like he usually did when Parker said something typical Parker-like.

"Well, okay.", Sophie said, laying a calming hand on Nates arm who was just about to chuck the strange girl out. "Tell us, Ave, why do you refuse to return to your foster parents?"

Ave turned her head jerkily to Sophie and frowned.

Sophie sighed when Ave just stared at her with warily narrow eyes. "Well, let's start with an easier question: How long do you already live with Mike Ronson?"

Ave scrunched her face. "What is that? An interrogation?", she asked, displeased.

"No, I…", Sophie started, trying to involve her skills in responding to people but was interrupted.

"Hey, stop looking at me so strangely!", Ave intervened hastily. "What do you do there? Psychoanalyzing me? Or hypnotizing me?" Even a soft panic resonated in her voice.

"No!", Sophie said calmingly. "I just want to learn something about you.", she added patiently.

Eliot chuckled at Ave. "What's up with you? She is not a witch or something!"

Ave still wasn't convinced. "Don't you dare to manipulate me! I can see through you!" She glared warningly at Sophie.

Now Sophie had to laugh. "Don't worry, sweetheart! I really don't want to manipulate you, you can trust me!"

"Hey! Don't laugh at me.", Ave complained resentfully but nevertheless Sophies words seemed to release her tenseness.

Suddenly she looked up, baffled. "What did you just say?"

"I said I won't manip…", Sophie began to repeat.

"No!", Ave interrupted her harshly. "That's not what I meant." Sophie looked at her blankly. "You said… sweetheart.", Ave stated almost reverently.

Sophie smiled. "Yes. That's what I said.", she confirmed gently.

Ave contemplated that for a moment.

Keeping her eyes glued to the team the whole time she finally smiled. "You know, I once lived for two weeks with some sort of voodoo woman. She looked exactly the way you would imagine an evil witch of a fairy tale. She always gazed the same way you just did, Sophie", Ave made a dramatic break, "when she was about to stab the needles into a doll."

"See?", Parker said convinced. "If clowns can be killed by horses then it's also possible that people can be killed by witches sticking needles into dolls. You never know." Eliot rolled his eyes.

Sophie grinned at both girls. "Thank you very much, Ave. I've already experienced a lot but I've never been compared to a voodoo witch!"

Nate smirked. "I always thought this." Sophie boxed him against the shoulder.

"You don't have to say it, Nate. I know you love me.", she smiled seductively at him.

Ave cleared her throat. "To answer your question: I'm already stuck with him and his terrible wife for a _very_ long time. I guess… four months or so."

Hardison wondered: "That's what you call long? That's nothing!"

Ave shook her head absent-mindedly. "For me it felt like an eternity." Then she added: "Besides, I don't think I ever stayed longer at one place than six months."

As much as Sophie tried she could not find more about Ave, her past or Mike Ronson. Ave refused vehemently to speak about anything too personal. But actually Sophie wasn't surprised about it since Ave was the typical street / foster care kid: She stole food (and who knows what else was hidden in her bag), slept in a closet (that was something she had never heard of before, really weird) and seemed temporarily absolutely emotionless (who knows what the poor girl had gone through).

But Sophie knew another way to get to information, surely not the most volatile but at least something. So she waved at Nate and Hardison to usher them out of the room while she signified Eliot and Parker to stay with Ave. Parker had found another cartoon on TV, Micky Mouse, for which she was in contrast to Spongebob as keen as mustard, and stared mesmerized at the screen.

Ave observed inconspicuously the three others disappearing into the conference room before she asked Parker incredulously: "How can you like Micky Mouse better than Spongebob?"

**Thank you for reading. The next chapter will come soon!**


	7. Quirky

**Merry Christmas to everybody!**

Leverage

Chapter 7

Arriving in the conference room and having closed the door behind them Nate wanted to know: "What's up, Sophie?"

"We will do a little bit research about Ave now!", she explained. "Hardison? Hack into the data base of the foster care and find out everything you can!"

Hardison said: "Can do!", and immediately turned to his computer.

"Nate, the girl surely knows something that could be helpful for us. Why do you refuse so vehemently to include her?", Sophie asked blankly.

Nate cringed. "She could betray us!"

Sophie shook her head. "She is practically a street kid! Do you really think she would go to the police? And she obviously hates her foster parents, so why should she turn us in to them?"

Nate just remained silent.

"It's because she is a child, isn't it?", Sophie guessed gently. "She reminds you of _him. _I don't know why, I can't comprehend how it is to lose your own child. But I see that everything with children affects you particularly."

Nate contorted his face. "Stop this emotional stuff, Sophie! It's nothing of this. I just can't bear another Parker-like lunatic!"

"Oh, of course!", Sophie shouted. "Now you act like Eliot. Parker is like a daughter for you, I know that. Why are men never able to admit their feelings?"

"I'm absolutely capable of admitting my feelings!", Nate yelled furiously. "Why do women always have to make everything complicated when it could be so simple?"

"Complicated? What has that got to do with anything?", Sophie yelled back. "She is a poor, homeless girl and you just want to turn her adrift! I thought that was your aim, to help those no one else can help!"

"Yeah, right! But we can't help her! We can't give her a home!", Nate retorted angrily. Sophie looked to the ground, affected.

"Hey guys! Guys? Nate, Sophie!", Hardison tried to attract their attention. "Hello? I know I'm just some weird computer freak but could you please nevertheless do me the favor and stop ignoring me, yes?"

"Okay, okay!", Sophie interrupted his flood of words. "Stop babbling, we listen to you. What did you find out?"

Hardison pointed to the plasma screens at the wall on which different documents appeared. "Ave really has no surname since I couldn't even find a birth certificate. She came into foster care at the age of three - here is the report of the responsible social worker. It is the first official document at all that proves her existence. Her parents apparently died in a fire in which the whole house of the family burned down, most likely caused by a damaged gas line. Ave has no relatives despite a two years older brother but they were separated after their parents' death."

"That's unusual.", Nate mused. "Normally siblings don't get separated."

"What about the parents?", Sophie asked.

"Just like Aves first three years are a mystery to me, the whole life of her parents are unavailable.", Hardison explained. "They are like ghosts. Because of Ave being in foster care we know they existed but there are no names, no documents about them, absolutely nothing."

"Wow, that's strange.", Nate remarked. "Did someone delete all data about them or did the system never knew about them?"

"That's a good question, a very good question.", Hardison answered. "If someone deleted everything about them this someone did his job very thoroughly and left behind no hints. At all events Aves parents are very mysterious people."

"What happened with Ave after coming into foster care?", Sophie asked.

"In the following twelve years she was in 19 different foster families or foster homes.", Hardison told them. "In between it is off and on noted that she ran away and lived on the street for a few days, weeks or months until the police or whoever retrieved her."

"What can you tell us about her brother?", Nate wanted to know.

Hardison tipped a few keys on his computer before a photo appeared on the screen. "This is Rhett, the boy without surname and with a very similar story to his sister. He is seventeen years old. I can't tell you where he is or what he does since he disappeared on the day he attained full age. So he probably lives on the street."

"Did you find anything unusual about Ave living with the Ronsons?", Sophie asked.

"No, nothing. She is legally adopted. She goes to school, although not very regularly. It strikes me that she is in no sports club or something like this but since she doesn't seem to like her foster parents we already assumed that they aren't very nice or caring parents.", Hardison explained.

"And since we all know that Mike Ronson is an arrogant ass who does not in the slightest care for children.", Nate added. "Which is why turning him in is our current con." He glared at Sophie. "And we should concentrate on that instead of doing research about a girl who isn't our business!"

"Nate. Not this again." Sophie accepted no objections. "She stepped into our lives and now we won't ignore her, got it?"

Nate rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I won't chuck her out but you have to get her to talk!"

"Maybe we should let Parker try.", Hardison suggested. "Ave seems to like her."

Suddenly the three of them heard a loud _Bang._

* * *

"What do they do there?", Ave asked confused, referring to Nates and Sophies loud voices coming out of the conference room. She couldn't understand the words but it sounded like a serious argument.

Parker shrugged carelessly. "They just argue again. Don't worry, it's not that bad."

"I really dislike yelling people.", Ave stated with a scrunched nose. Loud people made her feel uncomfortable and dizzy.

"Then you bark up the wrong tree here. They yell at each other all the time.", Eliot growled.

Parker giggled. "Just wait, in a bit they'll come out of this door and be best friends again."

Eliot grinned. "Best friends? Nah! The wrong term."

"Oh, I see.", Ave interjected. "Nate and Sophie sitting in a tree…", she sang.

Parker giggled while Eliot nodded. "Exactly."

Then Parker asked Ave interestedly: "You're good at reading people, aren't you? Sophie is, too. But I'm not."

Eliot rolled her eyes. "No, you really aren't." Parker shot him a black look.

"I can see it between you two, too!", Ave giggled and looked from one to another. Eliot and Parker both glared at her angrily.

Ave quickly recoiled, but still smirking. Hastily she added expertly: "You know, y'all speak at last two languages: English and body."

"You know, for a teenager you are damn precocious!", Eliot growled. "No wonder that you never stayed anywhere for long."

That touched something inside of Ave. She looked at Eliot angrily, and he was sure that if looks could kill he would by now be stone-dead. "It wasn't my fault! You have no idea, okay?", she yelled loudly at him. "Don't talk this way about things you don't know a thing about!"

With that she stormed away into the room she had come out of with Hardison earlier and the door slammed shut behind her.

A few moments Eliot and Parker sat there in silence. Then Parker shot a dark look at Eliot and complained scathingly: "You are _so_ stupid!"

"Hey, it was just a joke!", Eliot defended himself and looked at the closed door through which the strange girl disappeared, baffled. What had he done?

The door to the conference room opened and Nate, Sophie and Hardison came in, alarmed by the loud, sudden noise. "What's going in here?", Nate asked, startled.

"Eliot made Ave angry.", Parker explained accusingly.

"At least we're rid of her!", Nate mumbled whereupon Sophie glared at him furiously.

"Oh, no.", Eliot objected. "She is in there." He pointed at the door to the bureau. "Sophie, you better go talk to her!"

"No. Parker, you should go.", Sophie contradicted and looked encouragingly at Parker.

"Why me?", Parker asked doubtfully. "You know I'm not good in talking to people!"

"But, Parker, she is like you.", Hardison explained knowingly. "You understand her."


	8. Unique

Leverage

Chapter 8

Ave climbed into the closet in which Hardison had found her earlier. Her bag with all its content was still there. She curled up in a ball between all the things in the closet and pressed her forehead against her knees. She didn't cry, she never cried. Crying was a sign of weakness. But the façade that protected her from the memories of her past began to crumble. She knew she was safe here, these people didn't want to hurt her. They may not all like her but at least they didn't have the intention to harm her. If that would be the case they had already done it long ago, she reasoned.

But when the fear of danger decreases the awareness of everything that happens around you increases. If you don't need to be attentive and look out for danger all the time you are no longer distracted from everything else. That's the advantage of a rough and bad life. You don't have the time to think about how bad your life really is. You just do everything you can to survive and to make it as pleasant as possible. You push away the dark and depressing thoughts and concentrate on the obvious problems: food and preferably not being punished.

But now Ave saw it. She saw all the happy and smiling people around her. Now she wasn't scared anymore, no, she felt anger and envy arise inside of her. Even these criminals had people who loved them, a family. But she, a child, she was alone. Completely alone.

Suddenly Ave heard a noise and the door to the closet opened slowly. "Here are you!", Parker exclaimed at seeing Ave.

The girl was still curled up but now she carefully lifted her head. "I want to be like you.", she said sadly.

Parker looked et her, surprised. "Oh, no. Believe me, ending up like me is a bad thing.", Parker answered emotionally.

"But look, you are free, you can do whatever you want. You can steal money if you need it, you can steal chocolate if you like.", Ave insisted, her eyes shining because of the appealing vision.

"Yeah, you're right!", Parker smiled, satisfied, and sat down cross-legged beside Ave. "That's the nice part of my life." But then her face became somber. "But nonetheless. I want nobody to become like me. There's something wrong with me."

Ave scrunched her face indignantly. "No, there's not. Who says something so stupid?"

"Eliot.", Parker answered carelessly but as soon as she saw Aves dark glare at the mention of his name she added quickly: "But don't be angry with him because of what he said to you. He says things like this all the time but I know him by now for long enough to get that he doesn't mean it."

"There has to be something wrong with him, too, if he says things although he doesn't mean them.", Ave stated while shaking her head incredulously.

"I guess there is something wrong with us all.", Parker replied pensively. "Otherwise we wouldn't be thieves and grifters and so on."

Ave grinned slightly and finally sat up in an upright position. "Yeah, you are certainly not normal. But you know what? I don't like normal people. They are boring!"

"And I like kids like you because they are not so spoiled like the normal kids!", Parker told her smilingly. Ave smiled back. It was nice to have someone be friendly to you, she thought happily.

Ave flinched when suddenly the door of the room opened but she relaxed as soon as she recognized Sophie. "Everything okay with you two?", she checked on them. Sophie didn't even wonder anymore about the fact that Ave and Parker sat in the closet.

"Yes!", Parker answered cheerfully and jumped to her feet. Ave crawled out of the closet, too, and the three returned into the living room.

Sophie whispered to Parker: "Good job!", whereupon Parker smiled proudly.

As soon as Eliot saw Ave he said reluctantly: "I'm sorry for what I said." Then he looked to Sophie as if to say: Now satisfied? She nodded and couldn't hide a smirk.

"He didn't want to hurt you.", Sophie added. "It's just his unique way of expressing that he actually likes you."

"He says something although he means the complete opposite?", Ave couldn't understand that.

"That's irony.", Hardison added grinningly. "The thing you have a problem with."

"No, in this case it's not irony.", Sophie disagreed understandingly. "In this case it's just… Eliot-ish. You have to know him to understand it."

"Honestly guys, could you please stop talking about me while I listen?", Eliot complained, eyeing them strangely.

"Would you like it better to be talked about when you're not present? So you know at least what we think about you!", Parker told him, smirking.

"Parker - I don't want to know it. I don't care what you think!", Eliot growled.

"Do you do it again? Speaking Eliot-ish?", Ave asked, tilting her head to the side pensively.

"Yes, he does. I know he cares about me.", Parker stated convinced. "Otherwise he wouldn't protect me all the time, wouldn't he?"

"Eliot-ish?", Eliot exclaimed incredulously. "Sophie! What a rubbish did you tell her?" Sophie shrugged, trying to look innocent.

"Isn't it annoying that he is always so… grumpy?", Ave whispered in Parkers ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Parker giggled. "Yeah, it is, but you get used to it. And he can cook.", she added happily as if that would compensate everything.

Eliot shook his head incredulously. "Guys? I can hear you, remember?" Parker and Ave looked at each other and giggled. "And damn it, I'm _not _grumpy!", he added.

"Sorry Eliot, but yes, you are!", Hardison said, smirking.

"Oh no, that sounds like fun!", Eliot groaned.

Suddenly the door bell rang.

"Oh, I completely forgot to tell you!", Nate exclaimed, slapping his hand against his forehead, and jumped to his feet.

"To tell us what?", Sophie asked suspiciously. "Who is this?"

"A… client.", Nate answered hesitantly and hurried out of the room to open the door. "Behave yourselves, kids!", he shouted to the others.

Sophie followed him, replying: "A client? We didn't even finish our current con!"

"I know, she belongs to the Ronson-case. She is more of a… witness.", Nate explained hastily.

Sophie frowned. "What do I hear there? A _witness_? You invite a witness, _without telling us_, but refuse to use Ave as an informant?"

"It's not the same, Sophie.", Nate insisted resentfully. "She is like a second accuser in the same case. She just tells us her version of the story."

"And if it's so natural, then why did you hide her from us, your team?", Sophie demanded to know angrily.

Nate spun around to face her. "I _didn't _hide her from you! I _forgot _to tell you!"

"Nate, the mastermind? Somehow I don't believe you! I thought we work together, no secrets!", Sophie retorted sulkily.

"Sophie! I just forgot about it, okay?", Nate shouted impatiently. "As flattering as it is that you seemingly think I have an eidetic memory but even I am not perfect!"

Sophie laughed ironically. "Believe it or not, I become aware of that more and more with every second I spend with you!"

Finally Nate held up his hands. "Stop, Sophie, our guest is waiting. We continue arguing later.", he beat off another of Sophies ramblings. "Anyways, why do you always have to argue with me?", he grumbled.

Sophie shook her head indignantly. "Oh, of course, now it's my fault again! Incredible, this guy!"

But then Nate opened the entry door and Sophie clothed her face in a friendly smile to greet the client or whatever she was. "Hello! Nice to meet you. Sophie Devereaux."

The other woman entered and shook Sophies extended hand. "Natasha Naryshkin.", she introduced herself. "I am very thankful that you took the time to meet me." Sophie immediately noticed that the woman spoke with a strong Russian accent. She had auburn hair and dark eyes and Sophie guessed she was in her early forties. When she gave Sophie a friendly smile dainty vivid wrinkles arose from the corners of her eyes.

Nate also extended his hand and told her gallantly: "Nathan Ford. We talked on the phone. I really hope we can help you." Then he and Sophie guided the tall but thin woman into the condo and sat down so they could talk.

* * *

Aves gaze followed Nate and Sophie. "What about you? Don't you talk to the client, too?", she addressed Eliot, Parker and Hardison.

"No, that's Nate and Sophie's job.", Hardison explained. "We look too weird, we would just scare the clients away."

"We? More probably it's Parker who scares them!", Eliot corrected him grinningly. "And we have to play babysitter."

"No, no, no. I look friendly and innocent.", Parker disagreed. "_You _are the hitter, you always look as if you would punch everybody!"

"Possible, but I can be friendly if I want to while you can say what you want, it always offends your opponent!", Eliot reasoned harshly.

"Take it easy, buddy, okay?", Hardison interrupted Eliot in order to protect Parker. "No need to be mean!"

"You two argue all the time, too. Just like Nate and Sophie.", Ave stated, smrking. "Well, the quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love…"

"Fortune cookie!", Hardison exclaimed and Ave gave him a high five.

"What are you talking about?", Parker asked totally oblivious. Ave wasn't sure wether her clulessness was faked or not.

"Let's go listen to the conversation with the client!", Eliot suggested hastily and changed masterfully the topic.

So Ave followed the others to the big glass wall through which they could see Sophie and Nate talking to a middle-aged, very thin woman.

When Aves glance fell on the woman her eyes widened in surprise. "I know her!"


	9. Crazy

**Have fun on New Year's Eve!**

Leverage

Chapter 9

"You know her? From where?", Eliot immediately wanted to know.

"Who is she?", Parker added excitedly.

Ave pondered for a moment. "I don't know her name… but I saw her once in the Ronson building. She talked to my foster father."

"What were they talking about?", Hardison prompted.

"I can't remember.", Ave explained. "I lay in the air vent and read a book. I didn't concentrate on what they said!"

"But there has to be something you remember! Just a few words!", Eliot insisted impatiently.

"Oh, yes! Now you mention it…", Ave shouted suddenly. "I think I recorded everything with my camera!"

"Really?", Hardison and Parker asked excitedly in unison.

"No! Of course not!", Ave exclaimed and rolled her eyes. "I don't have a camera! And how should I have known this conversation would be important?"

"Calm down, guys.", Eliot went in sternly. "Ave, you try to remember as best as you can. But now we listen!" They all turned obediently towards the conversation behind the glass.

The woman in the room had tears in her eyes when she held up a photo of a young red-haired girl to show it to Nate and Sophie. "This is my girl, Melanie. She was eighteen years old when she disappeared.", the woman sobbed.

"I'm so sorry." Sophie laid a comforting hand on the woman's wrist.

"She studied at the university in Yale. She wanted to become a doctor so she could help people.", the woman continued sadly. "She was visiting me for the summer vacation but one morning she didn't come back from a party." Suddenly the woman turned angry and she shouted: "They kidnapped my girl!"

"Who is "they"?, Nate questioned.

"You know who I mean, don't you? This Ronson-guy and his goons!", the woman, Mrs. Naryshkin, retorted. "That serves him absolutely right that his daughter ran away!" Eliot noticed how Nate and Sophie looked at each other for a second and how Ave beside him flinched when she was mentioned.

"But how do you know your daughter was kidnapped by him?", Sophie asked gently. "I don't want to be impolite, but maybe she just ran away?"

"No!", Mrs. Naryshkin replied sharply. "She was always very prudent. She had no reasons to run away from home."

"Okay, Mrs. Naryshkin. We don't call that into question.", Sophie said calmingly.

Mrs. Naryshkin let another tear fall. "I went to the police but they just said they couldn't do very much because she could be everywhere and they couldn't even be sure there was a crime. So I assigned a private investigator. He was very expensive and I had to sell everything I had. But he found her." Mrs. Naryshkin sobbed. "He found her on a website in the internet."

"What kind of website?", Sophie asked gently.

"A website where you can rent call girls and… you know. There was a photo of her… half naked. And much thinner than she was when I saw her the last time." Mrs. Naryshkin nodded sadly. "I know what you think now. But I swear she would never do something like this voluntarily. I'm her mother. I know her."

"And how is this connected with Ronson?", Nate asked.

"The private investigator retraced the source of the website.", Mrs. Naryshkin explained. "It wasn't easy, he said, but he was able to decipher Ronsons virtual fingerprint. But then he said he couldn't do anything about him since Ronson is impeachable. I went to the police once more but they said the same."

Nate nodded understandingly. "We talked to another woman whose girl also is in their hands."

"Yes, I know.", Mrs. Naryshkin answered. "I know her, we are in the same support group for parents who lost their children. She told me about her going to you for help to find her daughter. She had the idea that I could come here and talk to you, too."

Nate sighed compassionately. "We know it has to be hard for you not to know where daughter is and how she is. But I promise we will do everything we can to find her and bring her back home to you, Mrs. Naryshkin."

"Thank you so much!", Mrs. Naryshkin exclaimed and took Nates hand. Sophie narrowed her eyes jealously to slits. "You are the first personwho seems to genuinely care about my daughter and what happens to her! Thank you."

Sophie stood up abruptly. "Can we lead you to the door?", she asked and forced a smile. Nate and Mrs. Naryshkin followed her out of the room and the three said their goodbyes before Mrs. Naryshkin left.

"You are emotional about this con.", Sophie commented gently. "And about this client.", she added grudgingly.

"Jealous?", Nate smirked. Sophie ignored him and marched away with her head held high.

* * *

Eliot, Parker, Hardison and Ave hastily disappeared into the conference room so that Mrs. Naryshkin couldn't see Ave, the missing daughter of Ronson. That could cause suspicion.

"Oh, what's that?", Ave suddenly exclaimed. Hardison looked up to see her regarding intently his painting on the wall. "He looks like Nate in old!"

"That's the great Harland Leverage the Third. He founded our corporation.", Hardison explained jokingly.

"Really?", Ave scrunched her face. "But I thought Nate founded your team!"

Hardison laughed. "Of course he did, it's…"

He couldn't explain further because Aves face suddenly lit up. "Oh, is he Nates father?"

Hardison shook his head and grinned, amused. "No, smarty-pants, he's a fake. Harland Leverage doesn't exist. He is just there so our headquarter looks more professional." He smiled proudly. "I painted him all on my own. He's cool, isn't he?"

Ave cocked her head to the side and said, horrified: "But Hardison, Nate-in-old has a head like a pear!" Parker and Eliot laughed out loud.

"Thank you very much!", Hardison said sullenly.

"That wasn't a compliment!", Ave remarked sternly.

"I know. I was using _sarcasm_!", Hardison retorted harshly.

"Oh.", Ave said, confused. Parker and Eliot laughed even louder.

Sophie and Nate stepped into the room. As soon as Parker saw them she said: "Ave just listened with us to your conversation with the woman…"

But she was interrupted by an angry Nate. _"What?" _

"Nate!", Sophie scolded him.

He sighed devotedly. "Sorry, Parker. What do you wanted to say?"

"She knows the woman.", Parker told him excitedly.

"You do?", Sophie asked interestedly. And so Ave once again told the one thing she knew about the woman: that she had seen her at Ronson's.

"That's strange. Why didn't she tell us?", Nate commented pensively.

"I would say she has something to conceal.", Eliot stated. "Very well. There you got us a great client, Nate!" Nate shot him a dark glare.

"Don't you want to tell me the rest of the story?", Ave asked gently. "I know what the woman said, it's senseless to hide the rest from me."

Nate sighed. "I guess you're right. Okay, we will tell you."

"Great!", Ave exclaimed happily. "Where is the popcorn?"

"Popcorn? That's no fairy tale hour!", Eliot growled.


	10. Exceptional

**Happy New Year!**

**Sorry that it took me so long to update. I was very busy because of christmas, new years eve and school. :)**

Leverage

Chapter 10

Everybody gathered in the conference room and sat down at the big table. Parker and Ave smiled happily, each of them had a candy bar in their hands which Sophie fortunately had found in the kitchen. Only Nate paced up and down in front of the table until he finally stopped.

"Okay.", he started and looked at Ave. "You definitely ended up with a really bad guy. Your foster father, Mike Ronson, is a criminal and a liar." Nates voice was laced with deep contempt. Ave had to grin slightly, strictly speaking he was all the same. "Ronsons insurance company is just a cover.", Nate continued passionately. "Originally it was a small and insignificant concern. And that was exactly what it was supposed to be because behind the cover of the small but seemingly reputable company something completely else proceeded."

Nate made a dramatic break. "Human trafficking." Ave gasped, shocked. Then Nate added contempuously: "His business booms and he gains millions with kidnapping and trading young girls. These girls mostly come from poor backgrounds or, in the case of our first client, are illegal immigrants so that their families have no possibilities to fight back. The already big success and earnings of his insurance company are in comparison with the money he gains with the human trafficking just a nice small additional earning. Ronson is already known to the police and the agencies but he is very clever and until now no one ever succeeded in proving an offense against him."

"What did you steal in Ronsons bureau?", Ave wanted to know.

"Our first client, Maria Hernandez, illegal mexican immigrant, has a daughter who is in Ronsons hands and she begged us to help her.", Sophie began.

"At first Nate refused to accept the mission.", Parker added and looked at him accusingly. "That would be 'too dangerous' and 'like messing with the mafia'!", she imitated him mindlessly. "But we could convince him that we already once managed to deal with the mafia. Ha! So why not again?"

"So Eliot came across an old friend of him who already had to do with Ronson.", Sophie continued to explain.

"And with a little money and a little threat I got him to talk to us about Ronson.", Eliot added triumphantly.

"He told us about a list.", Nate informed her. "A list on which allegedly all his girls are enumerated. With photos, details about them and, very important for us, even their location, where they are detained. Like a… stock list.", the last word he said with a disgusted and contemptuous expression on his face.

"So we broke in into Ronsons headquarter to get this list.", Eliot stated. "_All _the girls was a bit exaggerated. But with the help of the information on the list we could identify the first client's daughter and now know her whereabout."

Hardison sighed. "We can only hope that she is still there."

"What will we do?", Ave asked adventurously.

"_We?",_ Nate emphasized. "We _will _do something about it. But this _we _does not include you!"

"Why not? That's unfair!", Ave whined unhappily. "I hate Ronson and I want to track him down personally!"

"Hey, guys!", Eliot interrupted them, annoyed. "Whatever we will do, it won't happening today anyways. It's almost evening, so we have time to think it over until to tomorrow."

"I'm hungry!", Parker declared vividly. "Eliot, do you cook for us?"

"You wish!", Eliot growled.

"Please?", Parker begged and looked at him with big blue puppy-eyes. "You are such a great cook, I love your food!"

"Well, alright, darlin'.", Eliot finally gave in, not able to suppress a grin. "But only if you stop fawning!"

Parker smiled, satisfied. "No problem!"

* * *

Ave wandered around in the Leverage headquarter. Everybody was busy: Eliot was in the kitchen, eagerly preparing their dinner; Nate had entrenched himself in his bureau, probably figuring out a master plan; Sophie had left the condo to buy something Eliot needed, but Parker had assumed that she surely would get stuck in some shoe shop; and Hardison and Parker sat in front of the TV, playing a videogame.

Ave wondered what she could do now. Hardison and Parker had asked her to join their game but she didn't really like those games. Her eyes always hurt when she stared at the screen for too long. So she decided to keep Eliot company in the kitchen.

"Hey Eliot, when is dinner ready?", Ave asked friendly while entering the room that was hot because of the stove.

"Nowhere near.", he snarled without looking up. Ave decided to ignore his constant growling and snarling since she now knew he didn't mean it. Eliot stood in front of the stove, stirring in a big cooking pot.

"What do you do there?", Ave asked interestedly. "Is that the sauce?"

"Yes.", Eliot answered impatiently. "But if you have to be here and annoy me with your questions you will at least help me!"

Aves face lit up. "Yeah! What can I do?"

Eliot had to smile at her enthusiasm. "Here." He handed her a small cutting board and different vegetables. "Chop this." Ave began with eagerness.

A few minutes they worked peacefully without saying anything.

Finally Ave broke the silence. "You are strange. But I like that.", she simply said.

Surprised Eliot looked up abruptly to see Ave smiling widely and innocently at him. Eliot couldn't help but smile back. "You aren't that normal by yourself. But I'm used to that."

"I'm sure you're worse than I am since you even are paranoid…", Ave smirked mischievously.

"What are you talking about?" Eliot frowned suspiciously.

Ave giggled. "When I first saw you all I eavesdropped."

"Oh, yeah, I remember, you followed us.", Eliot answered with discomfort.

"Exactly.", Ave affirmed. But she added sympathetically: "But you don't need to feel offended because you didn't notice me following you. Nobody ever succeeded in that!"

"Well, that's just great!", Eliot answered sarcastically.

"Yeah, isn't it? It's a very useful skill. It helped me in lots of serious situations.", Ave explained sincerely.

"You don't say.", Eliot growled and rolled his eyes. "You definitely have a problem with irony, don't you?" He laughed.

"What are you talking about?", Ave asked innocently and acted cluelessly.

Eliot continued to work on his sauce while Ave just continued to chatter. "You know, I always wanted a family.", she told him casually. "But I never had a real one."

Eliot wasn't sure whether she just acted so unaffectedly or whether she could really just babble about her screwed life. He never mentioned his past in front of other people unless it was absolutely necessary. Even Parker who could be an unnerving blabbermouth was silent about that.

"I once ran away from one of my foster families.", Ave added nonchalantly with a hint of pride, but still deeply concentrated on chopping the vegetables. "For a while I lived in a small group with other street kids. They were the closest to a real family I've ever had." Suddenly her face became dark and painful and she began to hack the poor vegetables angrily. "But then _they _just took me away from them!"

"They?", Eliot asked softly. Ave was surprised he could speak so gently.

"They… the police, the foster-care, whoever.", Ave answered vivaciously and looked at him furiously.

Eliot sighed and laid down the spoon with which he had stirred the sauce to look at her intently. "Ave… why do you tell me this? Why can you just talk about this while you refuse so vehemently to tell us about your time with Ronson?" He waited a moment for her to answer but she looked away and kept silent.

"Ave!", Eliot tried again, this time with more emphasis. "If you want to work with us, as a team, then you have to be honest with us.", he told her gently but firmly.

Ave looked at him pensively. It was impossible to guess what was going on in her mind. Finally she nodded. "I like to talk. It can be relieving. But there are things..." Her voice became a whisper. "I cannot talk about things that just happened." Ave felt the tears begin to prick in her eyes. These wounds were much to fresh. "It… _hurts._", she sobbed. But immediately Ave felt embarrassed for crying and tried as hard as she could to suppress her tears. Angrily she turned away from Eliot.

"Hey, it's okay.", she heard Eliot say softly and suddenly she felt his hand gently grabbing her shoulder. But Ave shook it away.

"Don't touch me!", she shouted, upset.

"I'm sorry.", Eliot mumbled calmingly. Ave once again felt the tears arise and now she couldn't fight them anymore. They freely streamed down her face. She could kick herself, so sorry she felt for yelling at him. It was just... she never ever experienced before that someone wanted to comfort her, make her feel better. She didn't know how to deal with it. She couldn't handle it.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me, okay?", Eliot told her comfortingly. "And it's okay to cry."

That was the wrong thing to say. "It's not!", Ave screamed harshly. "It's a sign of weakness!"

"No. You're wrong. It is strong to be able to express your feelings.", Eliot disagreed firmly. He turned her gently towards him and put his right forefinger under her chin so that she had to look at him.

"That sounds wise.", Ave whispered sadly. "But I'm not sure if it's true."

"I say it is. And as long as you are with me we play with my rules." Eliots words may sound rude but his voice was gentle and convincing. Ave stared into his eyes. They had his typical wild and audacious expression but nevertheless she felt like they sent her comfort, compassion and sympathy. Suddenly she felt safe. _He _made her feel safe.

"Whenever he was mad at me he imprisoned me in a small, dark room.", she finally whispered. Desperation appeared in her eyes. Eliot just continued to look at her and listened carefully. "Sometimes, when he forgot about me because of his work, for one or even two whole days. I had nothing to eat and nothing to drink." Only by talking about it Ave felt like she could feel her dry mouth and her empty stomach again. Only thinking about it made the pain and the fear come back.

Suddenly Ave threw herself into Eliots arms like a lost child and buried her face into his chest. At first Eliot was a little bit baffled but then he closed his arms around her and pressed her comfortingly against him. "You are safe.", he whispered into her ear. And she knew it was true.

**Trust me, this won't be a Eliot/Ave romance. It is meant more like a big brother/little sister relationship.**


	11. Curious

Leverage

Chapter 11

Eliot and Ave concluded a silent pact not to talk about what happened and not to tell the others. Peacefully they went on preparing dinner.

Not much later Sophie came back, handing Eliot the spice she bought for him. In her other hand she carried a big shopping bag. When Nate, coming out of his office, saw the name of an expensive shoe shop on it he just grinned knowingly and bit back a comment. Parker on the other hand wrinkled her nose uncomprehendingly and was just about to say something.

But Sophie preempted her und said, declining: "I know, Parker, don't say it."

"Hey, you can't know what I wanted to say!", Parker retorted indignantly.

Sophie grinned. "Trust me, I can. I know you."

"Really? What did I want to say?", Parker asked defiantly.

"You wanted to say something like: 'Why do you spent all your money on boring shoes? You can't wear them all! _I_ would buy cereal or a new harness!'" Sophie smiled contentedly at seeing Parkers dumbfounded facial expression.

Hardison laughed. "Don't let her lead you around by the nose Parker. Even a blind man would have guessed that!"

But Parker definitely wasn't convinced. She asked softly: "Sophie?"

"Yes, Parker?", Sophie answered patiently.

"We are friends, aren't we?", Parker asked.

"Yes, Parker, we are friends.", Sophie fortified her gently.

"And friends tell each other their secrets, don't they?", Parker asked.

"Yes, Parker, they do.", Sophie affirmed, but becoming suspicious. "Why do you ask?"

Parker ignored Sophies question and continued with absolute seriousness: "Then why, Sophie, why don't you just tell me that you can read people's minds?" Sophie looked at Parker, totally baffled. Then she burst out into laughter.

Parker said sulkily: "You don't laugh at people. That's not nice. Especially not at your friends."

Finally Sophie calmed down enough to talk but she still couldn't suppress the grin on her face. "I'm sorry, Parker, I don't mean to laugh at you. It's just… I cannot read people's mind. I'm just really good at interpreting people's behavior."

Parker answered stubbornly: "Maybe you don't want to admit it, but I know it's your superpower!"

* * *

Finally Eliot and Ave finished preparing dinner and Ave ran through the condo, announcing loudly: "Dinner's ready!"

Soon the team plus Ave said around the kitchen table, enjoying a delicious meal. "Hey Eliot, you cooked really well!", Hardison stated appreciatively.

"I helped!", Ave piped up.

"Well done!", Hardison added smilingly.

"Thank you.", Eliot answered and Ave smiled proudly.

"Don't speak with your mouth full!", Parker stated seriously and poked Eliot into the shoulder with her finger.

"Stop that!", Eliot grunted, annoyed, and pushed her finger away. "Are you my mother, or what?"

"Parker, please.", Nate went in calmingly. "Let the poor men eat his food the way he wants to."

"Remember, Parker.", Ave giggled. "The cleverer gives in!"

Parker rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. If the cleverer always gave in the stupid would rule the world!"

Ave laughed. "I never regarded it that way…"

"Okay, guys. I made a plan.", Nate started. "Tomorrow afternoon we will fly to Arizona, where the girl most likely is kept. I already booked the flights for us."

"For me, too?", Ave piped up hopefully.

Nate sighed, defeated. "Yeah, for you, too."

"Yes! Thank you!", Ave rejoiced happily. Sophie darted Nate a content glance.

They continued eating. But the later it got and the darker it got outside the more restless Ave became. Off and on she stared into the dark streets behind the windows, fidgeted almost nervously with her hands and tapped with her feet against the wooden chair.

Finally Eliot asked, annoyed from her fidgetiness: "What's up with you? Spill it!"

Ave looked up from her plate. "I… I have to go!", she blurted.

"Whereto?", Parker asked curiously and looked at her quizzically.

"I have to… sort out a few things… personal things.", Ave explained cryptically.

"Well well.", Eliot answered skeptically. "I guess you don't want to tell us more?"

"No.", Ave stated straightforwardly. "I don't plan to."

"Then go!", Eliot hollered impatiently, but also somehow understandingly. Ave jumped to her feet and smiled at him thankfully.

"Will you come back?", Parker asked worriedly.

"Yes, don't worry, I'll come back.", Ave affirmed hastily.

"Ha! As if I would worry!", Nate muttered under his breath. Sophie kicked him under the table. He added quickly: "Don't forget, I already paid your ticket!"

But Ave listened anymore. Without any more words Ave grabbed her jacket and bag and quickly left the condo. Eliot stared after her and heard the soft bang when the entry door closed behind her.

"What do you think where she goes?", Parker asked.

"No idea.", Hardison answered, shrugging helplessly.

"What do you think which things she talked about?", Parker wanted to know.

"Parker!", Eliot hissed. "How are we supposed to know?"

"I hope she is going to be okay.", Sophie worried.

"Of course.", Nate calmed her. "She grew up in the system, she comes to terms."

Suddenly Parker stood abruptly up. "I follow her and find out what's up with her!", she announced decisively.

"Parker, I don't think that's such a good idea…", Sophie gently tried to hold her back.

"Why not? She won't notice me!", Parker reasoned persistently.

"You would invade her privacy!", Hardison complained.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Since when does that bother you? You constantly rummage in other people's lives!"

Eliot sighed. "Go, Parker. Do what you want."

Parker grinned. "See you later!"

Then she disappeared.


	12. Whimsical

Leverage

Chapter 12: Whimsical

Parker sneaked out of the building and looked down the street. To her right she discovered in approximately fifty meters away from her the slim shape of Ave who was passing a lighted street lamp. Inconspicuously Parker followed her in a safe distance through the city, crossing streets and walking down alleys, constantly keeping her eyes glued to her. Sometime Parker noticed how they left the more noble part of the city and slowly the houses beside her became more and more seedy, the streets became dirtier and smaller. The street lamps became fewer but the loudly colorful advertising signs bathed the alleys in a dim light. What does Ave want in this quarter?, Parker wondered helplessly. Seems like something shady! Parker grinned excitedly in a thrill of anticipation to an adventure.

Finally Ave seemed to arrive at her aim since she slowed down until she stopped in front of a brightly enlightened club. Above the entry door stood in bright red letters "Casino Royale". A few letters were broken and the walls beside the door were defaced with graffiti.

Two big, muscled bouncers stood in front of the door. Ave approached them and greeted them brightly. They grinned at her as if they already knew her and just let her enter the casino.

Parker was sure she wouldn't come in so easily so she decided to do what she could do best: find another way in. Carefully she followed a small alley that led her behind the casino. In the dim light of a dirty lamp that hung at the wall Parker discovered an iron backdoor. Parker was lucky, it was open. (She snorted at her own thought - as if she would need luck!) Quickly she sneaked in, carefully glancing around. Nobody was there. Quietly she walked down the hallway, passing the restrooms and other rooms. Finally she reached a bigger door through which she could hear loud noises. Warily she opened it and stepped into a big room.

Parker smiled triumphantly when she noticed it was what she had searched for: The casino. Parker paused at the door and let her gaze wander. For a moment she was overwhelmed from all the noises and images that flooded her brain. She could hear many, many people talking and laughing and the ringing from gaming machines constantly filled the air. In the dim light Parker saw people sitting or standing around game tables. Some played at cards, in a corner she could see a circle of men playing poker. At the other end of the room was a bar. Pretty waitresses hurried around, women in beautiful dresses drank champagne. Beside her Parker could identify a Russian man because of his creepy accent.

Then Parker remembered why she was here. Eagerly she began to search for Ave. When Parkers eyes checked the people standing at the bar she finally recognized the black-haired shape of Ave. Anxious to avoid that Ave noticed her she carefully approached the girl. She was talking to a tall, blonde man who was a few years older than her. He wore relatively noble clothes and thus formed a big contrast to Ave wearing her old and squalid jacket and jeans.

"Madam, how about a glass of champagne?" Suddenly a female voice sounded beside Parker. Startled she spun around and looked into the asian face of a simpering young woman. The social interaction came absolutely unexpected and immediately Parker felt uncomfortable.

"No!", she hissed sulkily. "I don't like alcohol!" Satisfied Parker observed how the waitress disappeared hastily. Then Parker focused back on Ave. But…

She was gone.

Parker winked, baffled. Desperately she let her gaze wander around. But no hint of Ave. Angrily Parker scrunched her face. This stupid waitress! Why does she had to distract her?

But Parker didn't think of giving up. After a few minutes of further searching Parker noticed the blonde man who had been at the bar with Ave coming out of a door beside the bar. Beside him was a young woman.

Parkers eyes widened in surprise. It was Ave. But she looked completely different than usual. She wore a beautiful, elegant red dress and suddenly even the blonde man in his noble clothes looked like a vagrant in comparison to her. Parker closed her eyes for a moment to test if she was dreaming but when she reopened them Ave still looked like a princess.

Excitedly Parker approached the two to have a better sight. At a closer look Parker had to admit that the dress actually wasn't completely new and furthermore Ave still wore her old, obsolete boots. Nevertheless she looked - how Eliot would probably say - hot.

Parker couldn't bear it anymore. She decided to reveal her presence and just ask Ave straightforwardly what she was doing here. So Parker walked up to Ave, ignoring the mistrusting gaze of the blonde man, and tapped her on the shoulder from behind. "Hi, Ave!"

Ave spun around and stared at Parker, thunderstruck. "What do _you_ do here?"

"I followed you.", Parker said honestly with a crooked grin on her face.

"What?", Ave exclaimed angrily. "That's my affair, not yours!"

"Sorry!", Parker responded off-handedly. "I was curious. And now it's too late, now you can tell me what you do here!"

"Hey, you!", suddenly the blonde man went in, eyeing her suspiciously. "What do you want?" Addressing Ave he added: "Do you know her?" Parker immediately stepped away from him when hearing his unfriendly words and examined him out of narrow eyes.

Ave held her hands up. "Guys, it's okay. Will, this is Parker…", Ave hesitated for a moment, searching for a matching definition, "a friend of mine." Then she pointed at the blonde man. "Parker, this is Will, my brother."

Parker regarded Will dismissively. He was approximately twenty years old and looked rather handsome. "Your brother?", she asked, surprised. "Biological?"

Ave shook her head. Will answered for her: "No, no, foster brother." Then he extended his hand gallantly. "Nice to meet you, Parker."

Parker wasn't overly pleased and just ignored his hand. "Your hair could do with a wash!", she stated with a frown.

He laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll give you two a few minutes." Then he disappeared.

"Hey, don't be mean to him!", Ave defended her foster brother.

Parker looked curiously at her. "So tell me: What do you do here?"

"Playing poker!", Ave stated as if it would be absolutely self-evident.

"You?", Parker asked incredulously.

"Yeah, why not?", Ave answered indignantly. "My brother, Will, taught me how to play while we lived together in a foster family for a few months. When he realized I actually am really good he took me with him to his poker circle."

"Cool!", Parker smiled. "Do you play for money?"

"Of course! Otherwise it would be no fun!", Ave exclaimed grinningly. "In the beginning I had to steal money to raise enough to participate but by now I win enough to continue playing and recently I even could allow myself a new pocketknife!" She smiled proudly.

Parker wasn't convinced. "There are much better ways to come by money. For example…", she smirked, "Being a thief!"

Ave laughed. "It's not about the money. It's about the game! The money just makes it more excited and when I win it's a nice side effect."

"Aren't you too young to gamble?", Parker asked suspiciously.

"Isn't it illegal to steal?", Ave smirked. "Of course I am but I have a false identity card. Thanks to another of my brothers."

Parker scrunched her face. "You have a lot of brothers."

"Brothers.", Ave repeated contemptuously, this time putting the word in air quotes. "Guys I lived with for a short time and then never saw again. Apart from Will of course."

Parker nodded understandingly. "I know. The only constant in your life is the steady change."

Ave nodded. "You steal. Eliot punches. I gamble.", she explained nonchalantly. "Everybody needs something he is really good at."

Suddenly Will appeared behind them and announced: "Hey sweetheart, the game starts!" Ave smiled happily when hearing him.

Will winked mischievously at Parker: "Wanna see her do her magic?" Parker shot him a dark glare but followed them to a gambling table.

* * *

And Ave was real good. The big guys around the table laughed at her and made the extremely stupid mistake to underestimate her. She smiled at them sweetly and innocently as if she would never harm a fly. But in the end they all lost their money to the young, childlike girl. She read them like open books and always knew whether they were bluffing or not. But in return nobody could read her. She always had this grin on her face, this nonchalant smile, like a cheeky child that was planning a prank.

"How do you _do_ this?", Parker wondered, amazed.

"In school I'm absolutely bad at maths. But when I'm playing it comes naturally.", Ave explained, shrugging.

Parker shook her head. "No, not that. You do it a little bit like Sophie…", she pondered. Ave smiled proudly.

* * *

Sometime in the night Ave yawned and said to Parker: "Let's go." Parker was absolutely mesmerized by the game and got up only reluctantly. Ave said goodbye to Will by hugging him tightly.

When they had left the Casino and were walking down the alley Ave asked hopefully: "Parker?" Ave looked at her sweetly and with tired eyes. "Can I sleep at your place tonight?"

Parker smiled kindly at the slightly smaller girl. "Yes." Then she wanted to know: "Who are those guys you play with?"

"Dunno. Some business men from the streets.", Ave responded, shrugging carelessly. "They don't ask me, I don't ask them. Unwritten rule."

"But look what I found.", Parker exclaimed excitedly and fished something out of her jacket.

Aves eyes widened in surprise when seeing a big army knife in her hands. "Wow! Where did you find it?"

Parker cringed. "Strictly speaking… I did not find it. I stole it. From one of those guys."

"You did _what_?", Ave exclaimed incredulously.

"Hey, it's what I do!", Parker defended herself mindlessly. "It was an instinct!"

"But they are my takers, Parker!", Ave said helplessly. "Besides every second American owns a weapon. It's not that unusual. They probably are dealers…"

"Oh, I'm sure they are dealers.", Parker piped up, holding up a small sachet with a white powder in it. "Or they only love drugs."

"Parker!", Ave exclaimed, now slightly frightened. "You stole their drugs?"

"It almost _fell _into my hand… I couldn't resist!", Parker reasoned unaffectedly.

"Liar!", Ave answered accusingly. "But now we have the sachet… now we can sell it."

"What? No!", Parker disagreed harshly.

"Why not? Drugs earn you good money!", Ave responded indignantly.

"But that's not what we do!", Parker narrowed her eyes to slits. "We help people! Drugs are bad."

Ave rolled her eyes. "I don't like drugs either, they put you in false sense of reality. But if the people want them… it's their decision."

"No, it's selfish to gain money with the misery of others. Drugs make you ill.", Parker said firmly and threw the sachet into the next garbage can.

Ave sighed longingly. "The wonderful money…", but then she added, defeated: "But I guess you're right."

Parker smiled triumphantly and nudged her with her elbow. "Remember, we may be the bad guys, but in a good way!"

And Ave remembered. She smiled contentedly and looked at Parker in awe.

Peacefully they trudged towards Parkers home.


	13. Lunatic

**Sorry, that it took me so long to update... I had a lot to do for school!**

Leverage

Chapter 13

Parker led Ave through the town until they reached her warehouse.

"That's where you live?", Ave asked in surprise.

"Yes.", Parker answered simply as if it would be absolutely normal to live in a warehouse.

"Cool.", Ave responded with a maniac grin.

Parker opened the door and they entered. The warehouse was spacious and filled with things like harnesses, ropes and many different kinds of locks. And cereal, Ave noticed in wonderment. It stood everywhere.

"You have a lot of cereal.", Ave commented.

"It's my favorite food.", Parker answered, shrugging.

"Yeah, that's… obvious." Ave wrinkled her forehead, but smiled. Why not? After all everybody had some kind of obsession.

Only then Ave noticed that she still wore her red dress. When they had left the Casino she had automatically grabbed her bag and jacket since she would never, _never_ leave those things lying around. They were the most precious things she owned. But she had forgotten to change back to her normal clothes in the hurry of leaving.

Parker grinned when she saw Ave standing uncomfortably in the entrance area. With an understanding nod towards Aves short dress she promised: "You can have one of my shirts to sleep in."

Ave smiled thankfully when Parker grabbed into a clunky wardrobe at the end of the hall and tossed her a blue T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Relieved, Ave quickly changed into the much more cozy clothes. Then she looked around curiously. In one corner stood a bed with a big stuffed rabbit on it. Parker had disappeared into a niche which Ave identified as a small kitchen when approaching it. It was filled with more boxes of cereal as well as several wooden cabinets, a fridge and an old-fashioned stove which Eliot surely would be ashamed of.

Parker was busy with preparing herself a bowl of cereal with milk. When seeing Ave she raised her eyebrows enquiringly. "Hungry?" Ave nodded enthusiastically.

After having eaten and talked for a little while they went to sleep. Parker could find an old mattress and a few blankets for Ave to sleep on.

* * *

Sometime in the night Ave suddenly woke up. It was dark in the warehouse but through the few windows she could see that it already was dawning. Ave quietly crawled out from under her blankets and stood up. That was already the second night she slept at the place of someone she only knew for a very short time. She wasn't sure whether she felt comfortable or uncomfortable with it. It felt foreign to her to trust someone enough to sleep with him being near. But it also felt good. Her eyes fell on Parker, lying curled up in a ball and with the stuffed rabbit in her hand in her bed. Seemingly she had moved in her sleep so that her blanket had fallen to the ground. Ave wondered whether Parker worried about her being in her home although they only knew each other for such a short time. Trust isn't easily gained.

Suddenly Ave couldn't bear it anymore to be so near to someone. She left her improvised bed but dragged her blanket behind her and clutched her lucky charm, the small dog figure, in her other hand. She crossed the hall and crawled into Parkers closet. Carefully to make no noises she closed the door behind her and complete darkness surrounded her. Ave liked closets. In them she felt safe because they were good hiding spots and when you closed the door behind you it felt like you could exclude the whole outside world, everything scary and confusing and annoying was just locked out. Ave snuggled deeper into the warm blanket.

* * *

The next morning Parker woke up. Warm sunshine rays felt through the small window above her bed on her face. Parker felt good and fresh and awake and full of energy. Ready for a day full of exciting adventures.

"Did you sleep well?", she asked Bunny who laid in her arms.

Bunny nodded. (Or better said Parker moved his head so that it looked like he would nod.) Parker smiled happily at him and pressed a good-morning-kiss to the soft head of the stuffed animal.

"That's good, Bunny, because today will be a busy day!", Parker stated vividly and jumped adventurously out of her bed. "You will get to know Arizona!"

With Bunny in her arm Parker bounced into her kitchen, babbling happily. "I now you hate it to stay in my suitcase while I experience the greatest adventures but I promise I will tell you everything when I come back to you, okay?", she told Bunny. Then the poor rabbit was carelessly thrown onto the table while Parker climbed onto her counter to reach the dishes.

Suddenly Parker jumped back to the ground because something came back to her mind. "Oh, I completely forgot Ave!", she exclaimed. Then she grabbed the stuffed rabbit and shook him by holding him at his ears. "You stupid Bunny, why didn't you remind me of her being here? I almost forgot!"

Parker stepped back into the hall and saw the empty mattress beside her bed. "Where's she anyways?", she asked and looked enquiringly at Bunny. "Oh, don't act so innocently, Bunny, you know it's your job to pay attention while I'm asleep!", she told him accusingly and with a wagging finger.

"Oh, yeah, you're right!", she then answered and nodded at Bunny as if he had said something to her. "Then I guess it wasn't dream…"

Parker remembered having been awoken in the middle of the night by Ave standing up. Her whole life Parker had spent being careful, looking out for dangers and always being attentive in order to stay safe. It was an instinct. And it had always been useful. She could remember only very few nights in her life in which she had felt safe enough to be really truly deeply asleep. She had always been and still was always ready to jump to her feet and run away, wherever she was, if she was awake or asleep.

With Ave being at her safe place Parker automatically couldn't sleep as well as when she was alone or when she was around those she knew. So it was only natural that she had noticed Ave standing up in the night. Parker had pretended to be asleep to find out what she would do. When her attentive ears had heard the soft noise of closing closet-doors she had realized what was going on and had, reassured, continued to sleep peacefully.

"So what do you think, Bunny, should we let Ave sleep in?", Parker enquired her stuffed rabbit.

Then she grinned from ear to ear and replied mischievously to herself (no, to Bunny!): "No, of course not! That would be no fun!"

Parker sneaked across the room towards the closet. While she still held Bunny in one hand she used her other hand to abruptly ripping open the closet-doors. Parker screamed: "Booooh!"

In this very moment a slim hand shot out from inside of the closet and grasped firmly the next thing it could reach. Unfortunately for Parker this was Bunny. Before Parker could react the rabbit was wrenched from her hand.

"No! Noooo!", Parker screeched indignantly. Her eyes widened in fear when the giggling and wide awake Ave, sitting in the closet, pressed her knife to the stuffed animal's throat. "Don't hurt him, please! He's just an innocent rabbit!", Parker begged.

That only made Ave giggle even more. "You know, I like it better to be greeted with 'Good morning!' than with 'Booooh'. Would you make that happen?", she demanded playfully. "Or I kill him!", she added with a jokingly dangerous glance towards the stuffed animal in her arm.

"Good morning!", Parker retorted without hesitation. "Now give me my Bunny back!"

"Okaaay…", Ave gave in grinningly and removed the sharp blade from Bunny's neck. Parker quickly grabbed him and shot a black look at Ave.

"Oooh, are you okay? You poor rabbit!", Parker cooed at the stuffed animal. Addressing Ave she demanded accusingly: "Say sorry to him!"

"No!", Ave stated completely unimpressed and left the closet. "What do we eat for breakfast?", she asked while trudging, still a little sleepy, towards Parkers kitchen.

"Cereal. What else?", Parker replied, bouncing after Ave while stroking her Bunny comfortingly.

"How can you eat that all the time? Isn't that boring?", Ave wanted to know blankly.

"No.", Parker answered, definitely not understanding why there was a problem with eating cereal all the time. She didn't need anything else. She could very well live only with cereal and milk. Okay… maybe a little bit fast food every now and then. And sometimes a pizza. And spaghetti cooked by Eliot every so often wouldn't be bad either… But other than that? Cereal was perfectly fine.

Parker sat down cross-legged on her counter while observing Ave digging through her fridge. "There is _nothing _in your fridge beside milk! Nothing!", Ave complained desperately.

"Well, than you seemingly have no other option than to eat cereal…", Parker stated gleefully. But Ave grinned evilly at Parker before grabbing the next box of cereal in her reach. She took a handful of cereal out of it and threw it at Parker.

Parker stared at Ave, first baffled, then angry. "Did… Did you just throw my wonderful, delicious, _**precious **_food at me?", Parker squealed furiously. She grabbed a box of cereal that stood beside her on the counter and - she couldn't help it - threw a gigantic handful back at Ave.

Ave giggled when a shower of cereal rained down on her. "Oh, you have so much cereal, you won't miss this little bit!", she laughed mindlessly.

"But you don't play with food!", Parker emphasized firmly. But she nevertheless couldn't help the gleeful grin that appeared on her face when all of her pieces of cereal hit her aim with frightening accuracy.

"Hey, you joined in!", Ave shrugged and laughed happily.

"But only because you started it!", Parker responded equally bubbly. The poor Bunny suddenly was forgotten and landed in the kitchen corner. A next salvo of cereal was fired by Ave and quickly Parker ducked behind the counter.

"Oh, that pants for revenge!", Parker screamed and leaves her hiding spot by storming towards Ave, both hands full with cereal. Ave screeched loudly and tried to escape by crawling under the table.

So the two continued to chase and pelt each other with cereal until the kitchen ground was all over with the food and their clothes, faces and fingers were sticky. Finally Parker and Ave collapsed onto the ground, laughing hysterically.

"We should go to Eliot so he can make us a proper breakfast!", Parker suggested, smiling cheekily at Ave.

Ave laughed. "Maybe a good idea since the majority of your cereal now is scattered all over the floor..."


	14. Nuts

**Here comes the next chapter! **

Chapter 14

The Leverage team had a loose agreement to meet every day, except at weekends, at approximately eleven a.m. in Nates condo. If a job came up and they had to meet earlier or although it was weekend Nate would call them. Since it was only eight a.m. Parker and Ave still had lots of time until they had to be at Nate's.

Parker changed from her sleeping clothes into her normal clothes while Ave grabbed her bag and her jacket but kept on Parkers clothes which were actually way too big for her. Then they left Parkers warehouse and walked to Eliots place who didn't live that far away.

When they arrived Ave steered towards Eliots front door but Parker grabbed her arm and dragged her towards a window. Twenty seconds later they were inside of Eliots home.

"Why couldn't we just ring?", Ave wanted to know dazedly while looking around curiously. They stood in Eliots living room, furnished with soft brown colors and wooden furniture.

"Aw! That would be boring!", Parker laughed and threw herself on Eliots comfortable couch as if she were home.

"Shush! Maybe he still sleeps!", Ave whispered conspiratorially and sneaked inaudibly across the room to admire Eliots gigantic bookshelves. She did not thought of Eliot as someone who liked to read.

"Nonsense! He never sleeps longer then ninety minutes a day.", Parker lectured Ave as if she should have known that. "He is a hitter, he's always attentive!"

Ave wrinkled her forehead skeptically. "But if he already noticed us then where is he?"

Parker grabbed Aves arm and dragged her behind her. "Let's check on him!", Parker announced. They walked up the stairs and Parker suddenly stopped when they reached a door.

Ave bumped into her and cursed low-voiced: "Mind what you're doing!"

"Don't make such a fuss!", Parker answered, declining. Carefully she opened the door to Eliots bedroom and they both looked in. Eliot lay in his bed, peacefully sleeping. Strange to see him like that, Parker thought.

"Ninety minutes a day? Seemingly he exaggerated a little bit!", Ave giggled.

"Let's not wake him up.", Parker decided with a fond smile towards the sleeping features of Eliot. "We will find something to eat in the kitchen without Eliots help." So they headed back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Aves face lit up when she suddenly stroke on an idea. "Maybe _we_ could make breakfast for _him_! Since we came along without his permission…"

Parker smiled. "I don't think this is a problem since I do that all the time…" Her face fall. "But I don't know how to make a real breakfast.", she admitted sadly.

"Oh, that's easy.", Ave explained happily. "You just search for everything you want to eat or drink for breakfast and put it on the table along with a few dishes. Ready!"

"Great!", Parker exclaimed bubbly. "Let's start!"

* * *

_Crash! _

The sudden loud noise coming from somewhere in his house awoke Eliot abruptly and immediately set him on the alert. Still drowsy he at first thought it belonged to his strange dream. He looked at his buzzer to see that it was already a quarter past eight a.m., later than his usual time to stand up. Well, having around the double amount of craziness results in double tiredness. He listened carefully and could her soft voices sounding through the walls. Someone's in my house!, flashed through Eliots mind and immediately he jumped to his feet.

He sprinted down the stairs, ripped open the door to his kitchen and…

Stopped dead in his tracks.

When Parker noticed Eliot standing in the door, just in his boxer shorts, she grinned widely. "Aw!", she remarked disappointedly. "I thought you would wear boxer shorts with teddy bears on them to symbolize your underneath lying softness!"

Ave giggled. "But look, Batman also looks great on him."

"It fits.", Parker agreed enthusiastically. "Since he also is a superhero!"

Eliot could just stare. He realized that Parker and Ave were the ones having woken him up. He wasn't even very surprised by the fact that Parker was here since he had become used to her showing up at his place without announcement. But he did not really process what they were saying. He was way to shocked by what he saw in front of him.

His kitchen looked like an embattled field.

Finally he found his way out of the shock and recovered his voice. "What the HELL did you DO with my kitchen?", he hollered desperately and furiously. It was a chaos: broken fragments of a plate lay on the floor, the stove was all over with charred, over boiled milk, on the table a glass of marmalade was upset and ran out. Then something else stroke Eliots eyes and immediately he raced to the counter.

"My new toaster! You destroyed it!", he scolded angrily. The toaster was completely sticky with cheese that had dripped inward. Eliot turned around, his eyes narrowed to slits. "I want an explanation!", he demanded harshly.

"I wanted to make a cheese-filled roll…", Ave answered shyly.

Parker cringed. "We wanted to make breakfast. It should have been a surprise for you!", she explained sadly.

"Wonderful surprise!", Eliot huffed wrathfully. "Really great!" Even Ave got that this was meant as sarcasm.

"We're sorry.", Parker mumbled affectedly. "You always cook for me or make me breakfast and now I wanted to do something for you so you can be happy." She looked at him with big pitiful puppy eyes.

Eliots angry facial expression softened at this revelation and at Parkers and Aves obvious dismay. "Okay.", he sighed deeply to calm himself. "Okay. I know you didn't do it with intention." Once again his sight fell on the destroyed toaster. "But girls!", he exclaimed desperately. "How is it possible that two so small people like you can make such a gigantic mess?" But he couldn't hide the small smile that crept on his face.

Relieved Ave and Parker smiled widely at him. "So you aren't mad at us?", Ave asked cautiously.

"Nah, maybe a little bit.", Eliot grumbled and looked regretfully at his toaster. Then he glared at the two girls and demanded sternly: "You have to promise to never ever again touch anything in my kitchen without my permission, clear?"

Ave nodded seriously. "Crystal clear!"

Parker saluted. "Aye, aye, Sir!"

Eliot glared at her. "Don't you dare to make fun of me!"

Parker giggled, absolutely unimpressed by his glare since she by now knew him good enough to know that he just did it to hide his grin. She saluted again. "Never ever, Sir!"

Eliot rolled his eyes. "Okay, girls, but there's one thing you have to do to make up for it.", he told them mercilessly. "You have to police up everything here, got it?"

Parker groaned. Ave looked at him hopefully: "But then you forgive us?"

Eliot couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, then I forgive you." Then he added conciliatorily: "And while you two clean up I will prepare us a proper breakfast without it ending in chaos."

"Yeah!", Parker exclaimed happily.

Suddenly Eliot frowned. "Tell me, why do you have cereal in your clothes, Ave? I do NOT own something like that!" Ave picked a piece of cereal from her sweater.

"Oh, that...", she stammered. "Yeah, well... we..."

"...did a cereal fight this morning!", Parker finished for her, bouncing happily.

"A cereal fight?", Eliot shook his head incredulously. "You. Are. Nuts."

Ave giggled. "But Eliot, look who's talking. Maybe you should firstly put on a few more clothes." Eliot looked down and realized that he still wore nothing but his Batman-boxer shorts. "Nice boxer shorts!", Ave commented gleefully. She could have sworn that the brave hitter Eliot Spencer reddened.

While hurrying out of the room Eliot threatened grimly: "But I warn you, girls, if you tell Hardison about this…", he pointed at his boxer shorts, "I will ground you both!"


	15. Peculiar

**In the next weeks I will only update either weekly or bi-weekly since I have a lot of work to do for school!**

Leverage

Chapter 15

Twenty minutes later Eliot, Parker and Ave sat around the kitchen table, each of them had a gigantic plate with delicious blueberry pancakes standing in front of them. The kitchen was clean as a whistle and Ave even managed to clean and repair Eliots toaster.

After having enjoyed their breakfast the three decided on doing something lazy: watching a DVD. Eliot indeed owned a TV and a DVD-player but it was obvious Eliot used them very seldom since the TV remote was coated with a dust when Ave grabbed it.

"No, no, no!", Eliot immediately intervened and snatched the remote from Aves hand. "You won't destroy my TV, too!"

Parker giggled while Ave pouted. "Do you have to beat a dead horse? I said I was sorry!"

Eliot grinned deviously. "It's your own fault! You have to bear that now."

Eliot even had a small collection of movies in his book shelves. Parker rummaged through it until she exclaimed happily: "Oh, cool, Eliot! I didn't know you have Robin Hood!"

Eliot wrinkled his forehead. "Robin Hood? Me neither. Show me!" Parker handed him the DVD. "But Parker! That's the Walt Disney movie!", he shouted, aghast. He had no idea how this DVD came into _his _living room but somehow he suspected a certain black-skinned computer nerd to have something to do with it. It would be so typical for Hardison to place the DVD in _his_ house just to please _Parker_ because he knew she would show up here!

"Yeah!", Parker affirmed contentedly. "With the animals!"

"No chance, Parker.", Eliot clarified sternly. "We are not going to watch a silly kid's movie!"

"Why not?", Parker asked disappointedly.

Eliot ignored her and drew out another DVD. "Let's watch 10.000 BC!", he suggested.

Ave snatched the movie from Eliots hand. Disgusted, she looked at the cover. "Ew, that's with Stone Age men. They are primitive!"

"Fiddlesticks!", Eliot contradicted vivaciously. "It's a good movie!"

Ave declined. "Better not. Let's watch Sherlock Holmes! You know, the new movie."

Parker scrunched her face. "Sherlock Homes? He works together with the police!", she told them as if that would be something completely disgusting. "We can't support somebody like this by watching his movies!", she declared seriously with a wagging finger. "In contrary, we should track him down!"

Eliot looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You do know that he isn't real, do you?"

Finally the three of them settled on the first movie of Pirates of the Caribbean. Eliot loved to make fun of the gay Jack Sparrow and to watch Elizabeths boobs, drooling. Ave thought that the Captain was absolutely cool and funny. Parker thought that Jack Sparrow was like them: he was the bad and the good guy at the same time.

* * *

Punctually at five minutes to eleven Eliot urged Parker and Ave out of his house. They got into Eliots car and drove to Nates place.

When they entered the condo an unexpected smell filled their noses.

"What's that?", Ave asked in wonderment and sniffled unladylike.

Eliot shot her dark glare. "Stop sniffling. It's disgusting."

Parker cocked her head to the side curiously. "It almost smells like… cookies!"

Eliot wrinkled his nose. "With a hint of burned dough, though."

Suddenly Hardison raced towards them. "Hey guys! Something creepy happened! You won't believe it!"

"What's up? Spill it!", Ave demanded excitedly.

"Sophie, she - ", Hardison lowered his voice conspiratorially. "She is baking muffins!"

"She does _what?_", Eliot exclaimed, perplexed.

Parker looked at Hardison uncomprehendingly. "Sophie is baking? You mean - she really bakes? Right now? With an oven and an apron and flour? Are you sure?" Hardison nodded eagerly.

"She bakes. So what? What's so creepy about that?", Ave piped up blankly.

Hardison looked at her strangely. "It's _Sophie!_ I mean, she steals and grifts and lies and smiles nicely but she does _not _bake!" He laughed as if that would be something absolutely ludicrous. "Tell me, can you imagine her with an apron? That's just not her style!"

Parker blinked suspiciously and whispered: "Something's up. We have to be careful!"

Inconspicuously they sneaked further into the condo. Suddenly a flustered Nate approached them. "Oh, boy, it's so good to see you!", he shouted, relieved when seeing the others. "Something's up. Sophie is baking!"

"Oh, yeah, we already heard.", Eliot affirmed darkly. "Did something happen?"

"No!", Nate insisted almost desperately. "I have no idea what's gotten into her!"

"Maybe you should just ask her.", Ave suggested simply.

"No!", Nate immediately declined. "She is so busy right now, it's a very bad idea to interrupt her now!"

"Did you say something wrong that upset her?", Parker asked and regarded Nate searchingly.

"No, I didn't!", Nate asserted, shaking his head. "What has that got to do with anything, anyway?"

Parker looked at him as if that would be absolutely self-evident. "Well, maybe she wants to destroy your kitchen in order to take revenge!"

"Oh, no!", Eliot groaned compassionately. "Nate, I can only hope for you that your kitchen won't look as bad as mine did this morning!"

A look of fear appeared on Nates face. "What happened?"

"These two - ", Eliot pointed accusingly at Ave and Parker, " - decided to try to make breakfast." Eliot snarled grudgingly. "The operative word is 'try'. The only thing they surely are talented in is making a mess! Too bad for them that you can't eat that!"

"Maybe you should teach us!", Ave suggested smilingly.

"Oh yeah, that's just what I need!", Eliot growled ironically. "No way!"

"Change of subject!", Hardison announced quickly. "He is about to explode. I'm sure so much excitement is not good for our old man!" He grinned at Eliot.

Eliot growled at him. "Old man? Did you just say old man? Just you wait!" The hitter was about to attack Hardison angrily.

But suddenly the door to the kitchen opened and a beaming Sophie emerged. Her face was covered with flour and in her hands she held triumphantly a plate with muffins.

"Sophie!", Nate exclaimed, unsure what to say.

Sophie smiled brightly at him and the others. "Do you want to taste my self made muffins?" Proudly she presented the plate of baked goods.

Nobody dared to move. Nate looked searchingly at Sophie. Hopefully his kitchen was still usable… Eliot scrutinized warily the brown muffins which were covered with colorful crumbles. They surely looked delicious but it was Sophie after all… Parker and Hardison looked at each other uncertainly. What if she confused milk with scrubbing milk?, Parker wondered.

Ave looked at Sophie, then at the other four and back to Sophie and her muffins. Finally she shrugged and smiled broadly at Sophie. "They have crumbles!", she stated appreciatively and picked a muffin before biting into it. "Mhmm, they are yummy!", she mumbled with her mouth full. Sophie smiled contentedly.

"Yummy? Really?", Eliot couldn't hide the scepticism in his voice.

"What's up with you?", Sophie asked slightly offended. The other four still stood there like statues and watched the scene. Parker was the first one to recover and grabbed a muffin. Then Nate picked one, thinking that he owed her so much to at least try. Eliot was the next, remembering that they couldn't be worse than the poisoned muffins he once ate (well, they tasted amazing, it was their effect that caused him problems and it still bothered him that fell for this lazy trick). Hardison finally couldn't resist the delicious appearance they provided anymore and grabbed one, too.

A few seconds everybody was silent.

Suddenly Eliot burst out: "These are amazing!", and gave Sophie a surprised smile.

"They are absolutely delicious!", Nate praised while munching eagerly.

"I didn't know you can bake that good!", Hardison added appreciatively. "And since when do you act like a house wife?"

Sophie smiled and basked in her success. "Trust me, this won't become anything regular. But do you remember the job we did a few weeks ago? I attended a baking class to fulfill my role and I absolutely had to try this recipe we learned!"

Parker grinned while biting into her next muffin. "Well, fortunately Sophie does not have the same gift for everything like that she has for acting!"

Everybody laughed. Only Sophie asked, confused: "What do you mean?"


	16. Cranky

Leverage

Eliot, Hardison, Nate, Parker and Ave were still eagerly eating Sophie's muffins when Sophie's gaze suddenly fell on Ave.

"What are you wearing there?", she asked disapprovingly.

"Uh…", Ave fidgeted uncomfortably under Sophie's scrutinizing glance, realizing that she still wore Parker's clothes instead of her own which gave her a slight sloppy look. "Those are Parker's clothes.", she explained quickly.

Sophie contorted her face distastefully. "They are terrible!", she complained. "They are dirty! And way too big! How can you wear that?"

Ave shrugged carelessly. "They're comfortable."

Sophie shook her head incredulously. Then she turned to Nate: "Nate, we need to go shopping! She absolutely needs proper clothes for the job!"

Nate thought for a moment but when seeing Sophie's threatening gaze he quickly complied: "Okay… you girls go shopping. Hardison and I prepare the mission. You know, making up the identities and so on."

"I help the guys!", Eliot immediately announced, suddenly very eager to do boring computer work. Everything's better than going _shopping._

Hardison contradicted evilly: "No, Eliot you better go with the girls. I really don't need someone looking over my shoulder all the time who is not even able to switch on a computer!"

Eliot shot him a dark glare. "Shut up, Hardison! Be careful what you say or I will arrange it so that you really need me!"

"Shopping? Oh, no!", Parker complained listlessly.

"Parker!", Sophie scolded her incredulously. "You are a woman, aren't you? Every woman loves shopping!"

"I do not!", Parker stated grudgingly.

"Doesn't matter. She comes with us!", Sophie told Nate who nodded.

"But don't be too late, we have a plane to catch!", he reminded them.

"Yeah, yeah..", Sophie answered carelessly, not really listening and already hurrying away to put on her shoes. "Go, go, girls! That will be fun!", she told Ave and Parker enthusiastically.

"Don't you want to come with us, please? You heard Sophie, it will be fun!", Ave asked Eliot kindly, but Eliot could see the mischief in her sparkling eyes.

"Oh no, forget it!", Eliot rejected quickly. "Think of my kitchen! I truly deserve a little peace and quiet after this disaster!"

"But Eliot!", Hardison interjected, doing a very bad job at hiding his grin. "You know exactly how dangerous it is to let Parker and Ave run rampant in public! And Sophie isn't better when she is shopping!"

"That's not my problem!", Eliot growled. "I'm not their babysitter! Why don't you go with them if it's so important to you?" He glared defiantly at Hardison.

For a moment Hardison looked caught, then he tried to talk his way out: "You heard Nate, he needs me here. I'm way to important to play babysitter!"

"Shut up, Hardison!", Eliot shouted angrily. "You're skating on damn thin ice!"

"Okay, guys, we're gone!", Sophie announced happily.

"Come on, Eliot!", Ave waved at him grinningly.

A frightened expression appeared on Eliot's face and before anyone could stop him he hurried away. "No time! No time!"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Sophie, Parker and Ave were in the shopping center. Sophie was in seventh heaven. She hurried around, look at shoes and at dresses, all the time dragging Ave and Parker behind her and asking: "What do you think of this one? Or maybe these shoes?" Ave and Parker stood there and looked at each other, clearly bored.

"Who was it again who needs new clothes - you or me?", Ave asked, rolling her eyes.

Sophie hurried away. "But those shoes!", she raved. "And, oh, those are beautiful! I want…"

Parker sighed languidly. "Yes, I know, you want all the shoes in this mall, and you want all the statues of the Cairo museum, and you want all the love in Nate's heart…"

"But you can have everything - where would you put it?", Ave stated matter-of-factly. "Parker, let's go somewhere else as long as Sophie is busy."

Sophie sighed and stopped them. "Okay, okay, you're right. Let's go find some clothes for you, Ave!" She turned around and held up a yellow blouse. "What do you think of this one?"

"No!", Ave scrunched her face distastefully.

"Maybe that?", Sophie tried again, now with squiggly dress in her hand.

"No!", Ave answered even more distastefully.

"What about that?", Sophie asked as enthusiastically as possible, suggesting a long, green skirt.

"No!", Ave stated uninterestedly.

"Oh my god, you are difficult!", Sophie groaned.

"Maybe something like that?", Parker suddenly asked and held up a simple t-shirt.

"Oh, yes, that's great!", Ave exclaimed contentedly.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Well, all right…Try it on!"

Ave bounced off towards the changing rooms. When she left it again Sophie was off to search new clothes while Parker regarded her skeptically. Then her face changed into a big grin. "You should absolutely buy it!"

"You think?", Ave asked doubtfully.

"Yes!", Parker affirmed happily. "You look like a clown!"

Ave frowned. "And why would that be good?"

Parker smiled broadly. "You will make everybody laugh!"

Ave shook her head incredulously. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Parker looked at her inquiringly. "I don't know. There you have to ask Sophie, I cannot read minds!"

"Wrong answer.", Ave told her disapprovingly. "That was a rhetorical question! We try again. Did you just say what I think you said?"

For a few seconds Parker was silent. "Uh…", Parker cleared her throat. "How do you answer a rhetorical question?"

Ave grinned, amused. "You did good at first. You just say nothing."

"That's stupid. Why would you ask a question if you don't want an answer?", Parker complained blankly.

"I don't know.", Ave shrugged carelessly. "Sometimes I just have a feeling to do so. But back to the topic. Where were we?"

"Did you just say what I think you said?", Parker said.

Ave looked at her enquiringly. "What? What did I say? I cannot read minds either!"

Parker shook her head impatiently. "No! That's where we were!"

Ave's face lit up. "Oh, yes. I remember. But what was it that I thought that you said?"

"I don't know anymore.", Parker shrugged. "Let's go find Sophie!"

After approximately two hours they had found two pairs jeans, boots with buckles, three t-shirts and two sweaters for Ave. Sophie rummaged through the shop with ardent zeal until Ave finally groaned: "That's enough!"

* * *

So three girls decided to go to a restaurant to eat something. After having ordered their food, Parker and Sophie talked about who knows what while Ave stared intently at a woman who sat a few tables away from them. The woman had strange hair, corkscrew curls that stuck out to all sides, and looked out of the window. But what Ave fascinated the most was that the woman sat there completely immovable, like a stone. Since they had entered the restaurant she hadn't moved, Ave was sure she hadn't even blinked.

Suddenly Ave whispered to Sophie, puzzled and curious: "Sophie, is she a doll? Or a statue?" Sophie looked at Ave, confused, then let her gaze follow Aves finger which pointed at the woman.

Sophie was just about to deny that when Parker, who also had noticed the strangely motionless woman, snorted in laughter. "Ave, of course she isn't real. It's impossible to survive an electric shock that is so strong that her hair looks like that!"

Suddenly the woman turned her head and looked angrily at the three of them. Ave flinched with surprise. "Oh, she moved!"

Parker tilted her head to the side to scrutinize the woman. "Maybe she is a robot!"

"Oops!", Sophie whispered, embarrassed. "Shut up, girls!" But too late. The woman had heard them. Sophie put on her most friendly smile and said apologetically: "Oh, Miss, I'm so sorry, they didn't mean to offend you!"

"Of all the cheek!", the woman hissed and glared at them furiously before hastily walking towards the exit.

"Ave, Parker, say sorry!", Sophie demanded sternly.

"No!", Parker answered stubbornly. "It's not my fault that she looks so strange!"

Ave hesitated for a moment before shouting loudly, so loud that Sophie was sure the whole restaurant heard her: "I'm sorry, Miss, that you look like an inanimate object!"

Sophie sighed deeply and desperately and buried her face in her hands in shame. Then she stood up and demanded resolutely. "We leave! Now!"

**Okay, maybe not my best work but I hope you like it nonetheless!**


End file.
